The third light
by OhGodwhyamidoingthis69
Summary: A sequel to "An apology", Severus and Harry are blissfully happy together. But the fall out from the war continues, and when Draco Malfoy needs a place to stay, Severus cant refuse. But Harry cant allow it either. His twisted obsession with Draco bubbles up again, but this time he has free reign to do what ever he wants. light dom/sub, implied rape, eventual SS/HP/DM slash.
1. Chapter 1

Severus and Harry were caught in a whirlwind of bliss. Every day seemed to get better and better. After the war, Severus got the recognition he deserved, and after seeing what Lupion had said in the papers...Harry came to understand why Severus felt as put upon as he did. Both of these things seriously helped their relationship, and, of course, the pain and horror of almost losing each other bound them together more firmly than anything else.

They knew it was early, but fuck it, they were in love. They moved in together. They sold Severus's cottage, it was small and only held bad memories for him. And Harry bequeathed Grimmauld place to Ron. Harry could go back whenever he wanted, but Ron took responsibility for it, which was good. He needed a project after the loss of the war, and he was talented with his hands.

Instead, they bought a gorgeous town house in the middle of muggle London. The exterior was all genuine jacobian, white washed with thick black wood. But the interior was spacious and modern, with a wood staircase that wreaked of history and magic, adn wide, bright windows. It was three stories, not including a spacious basement, and had a gorgeous terraced garden. God it was expensive. Well over eleven million muggle pounds, Harry hated to think of what that was in Gallons.

But he didnt care. He made money off of interviews and licensed Harry Potter merchandise, in his sleep he made more than many people made in a year. Plus, Severus was probably looking at a large windfall. He was suing The Daily Prophet for slander, after they'd accused him of kidnapping and plotting to murder Harry.

But even that had turned out okay. It got him a lot of press for his new venter. He was quitting teaching at Hogwarts (obviously) and was instead getting into experimental potions. Many nights, he cuddled Harry as they sat around the fire, explaining excitedly about how he was going to find a cure for vampirism. Harry struggled to follow, but there was nothing difficult to understand about the happiness in Severus's eyes, or the light of his smile.

They were in heaven.

And it lasted a long time, until almost a year after the war.

Harry had noticed that Severus had been gloomy for Several days. At first he put it down to problems with the vampire cure (alas, as yet unsolved) but when he asked about that, he was told it was fine. And so, reluctantly, Harry did what he knew the man needed- and gave him space. It was very hard, but only a day later, he had his reward. As they sat down to dinner one night, Severus sighed and bit his lip.

"I have something i need to talk to you about." He began.

"Yeah?"

"You know… A lot of the death eaters have been thrown in prison lately. It's taken a long time to process them…"

"Yeah. Thank god they are finally getting justice."

"Well...you've heard about the scheme for...low level offenders? How they are being...sold or rented out?"

" Yes, i know, 'To appropriately responsible parties', right." Harry said, quoting the advertising slogan. It wasn't as bad as it sounded. The general idea was that many offenders were very young, and instead of prison, they needed to be installed in supportive environments. In these, thy could learn new skills and new morals. And not to kill people.

"Yeah I know. Seems kinda odd, but i guess it's better than azkaban. Why?"

Severus took a long breath. "I've heard from Draco."

Harry froze. "Yeah?" He said, not bothering to hide his distaste. He did not like where this was going.

"Uh. I've heard a few times, actually… he's not...in a good place." Severus said, delicately. That was putting it mildly, from the tone of his letters, he was in serious trouble. Severus suspected that the last letter had been written in his own blood. "He's being rented by this awful place…"

"Pity." Harry said, clearly happy about it.

"Harry...it's bad."

"Well what does he expect us to do about it?" He asked. He meant it to be rhetorical, but it clearly wasn't. Severus winced, knowing how much Harry would hate this.

" I want to buy him. Have him come and live with us."

"You have to be fucking kidding me." Harry barked.

"Yes, I thought you'd say that. But….He's hurt. Hes... "

"Yeah well, if you can't do the time, don't do the crime. He has to some kind of punishment, He cant get off scot free."

"Yes." Severus said. He didn't disagree, he just… was worried. "I know. And I know how you hated him...but well you hated me once too, right?"

This was the wrong thing to say. "You are a civil person." Harry snapped "You are a good, kind, brave person who risked his life almost constantly for the side of the light. He's a pathetic death eater."

"Harry…" Severus started. But Harry wouldn't listen.

"Severus." Harry said, his voice suddenly stern "Would you do it for James?" Harry knew this was a little bit of an unfair question. James had tormented Severus, while it was more or less an even playing field with him and Draco. But it got his point across.

"No" Severus admitted, looking sadly at his now cold soup.

"Good. Discussion closed then."

But the topic wasn't closed. Just because they weren't talking about it, didn't mean they weren't still thinking about it. For the first time since they started dating, they started fighting. Nominally, they fought about lots of things. The washing,where to go for dinner, whose turn it was to do the dishes...but they both knew it was really about Draco. Severus couldn't stop thinking about it, and a little part of him hadnt forgiven Harry for his refusal. A large part of Harry felt that Severus was being seriously ungrateful. He had never held money over Severus's head, in fact, he actively enjoyed spending his money on him. But expecting Draco to move in with them was another thing entirely- it pushed his generosity to the breaking point. It was too much.

After Harry snapped at him again, over nothing more important than where to hang a painting, Severus finally had a cool enough head to say

"Look. clearly still upset with me about this Draco thing. Can we talk it out?"

Harry, his emotions now exposed to the cold light of day, blushed pink. He was being kind of a dick, it was true. They put the painting down and stepping into the living room, settling on Harry's favorite couch. (it was old, but it reminded him of gryffindor common room)

"Look...i know he's your godson." Harry started.

"I know he's your enemy," Severus said quickly. He was seriously worried he'd fucked things up with Harry. It showed in his face, and Harry snuggled closer.

"Yeah. he is. I can understand that you feel like you had to ask, but...surely he has somewhere else to go?"

"No." Severus said sadly. "Everyone else he could ask is in Azkaban themselves. He's not the first person to write to me and ask, you know."

"Oh?" Harry said, curiously.

"Most of the slytherins from your year have, actually. They all got caught up in some bad stuff."

Harry nodded, not at all sympathetic. All he had to do was think of Hermione and he was crippled by pain and grief. No, he'd lost too many to forgive that easily.

But Severus looked like he was about to cry. "I don't want to lose you." He said stiffly.

"You won't." Harry said, throwing his arm around the other man, letting him rest his head on Harry's shoulder.

"I just don't know what to do."

Oh god. He did want to make Severus happy. Maybe there was some compromise?

"Well...I mean, could we buy him and have him live somewhere else?" Harry asked.

"No, he has to have "supervision" which means officially living with one of us."

Maybe they had moved in together too soon. If Severus still had his own place, this wouldn't be an issue….they could move out again, wait for his sentence to be done…

"How long…?

"Ten years."

Harry groaned. "No. That's too long. Im sorry, I really am. But i can't be expected to do that."

Severus sighed. "No i know. I agree. Its asking too much. I'm sorry i bought it up."

"Don't be. I know why you did. Your a good and loyal person… no matter what the risks are."

And so they let the matter drop again. They fought...less. Although there was still a tension in the air. Mainly, it was because Severus was deeply troubled and Harry very guilty. It was only made worse when he found a note on Severus's bedside table, covered in Dracos distinctive handwriting.

"Severus! Good to hear from you. Write more. Cant reply much. May not be able to reply again. Write still. I need you."

He had to admit, it was...worrying. It also looked as if it had been burned, the edges black and curling, which made the whole thing very sinister. But Harry seriously doubted it was that bad. This was a genuine ministry initiative, for god's sake! It had proper oversight.

Suddenly, an idea came to Harry. He'd find Draco, make sure he was okay and show Severus the memories. Yeah, that would work. At least it would put his mind at ease.

It wasn't difficult to find him, the ministry kept tabs on all ex-death eaters. He simply went to the office of magical law enforcement, asked for draco malfoy, and got an address. After work that night, he headed over. He took the precaution of drinking some polyjuice potion. People tended to act differently around The Great Harry Potter, and he didn't want that, he wanted the truth.

It was a normal looking black building. A little run down perhaps, but Draco couldn't expect the ritz. Inside, it was a totally different story. It was the loudest club Harry had ever been into. It was so filled with smoke, the air was almost hard to walk through, he certainly couldn't do it without coughing. Everything was a gaudy gold or bright purple. He grabbed a drink from the bar and walked further in.

Rows and rows of chairs stood before a long stage, empty but for three poles and three (Harry had to admit it) extremely sexy dancers. Suddenly he felt rather guilty, surely Severus wouldn't be okay with him being there? More to the point, Severus would certainly not accept this as evidence of Draco being fine. He groaned. He'd have to talk to the guy, see if he could catch him saying something like "Yeah, this is great, i con people all the time, because i'm such a bastard." Yeah, that would be good, Harry thought.

He pushed through the crowd, finding a seat to watch the show. Might as well enjoy it while he was there…

It didn't take long, Draco stood out in a crowd, his shockingly pale body almost glowing under the stage lights. He wore strappy, eight inch heels, covered in silver glitter. Above that he wore leather short shorts and a sheer top, that did nothing more than tint his pale skin black. Lastly, he had on a black leather collar, studded with silver spikes.

He was walking right towards Harry, Harry sat up eagerly, when a hand reached out and grabbed Draco, yanking him suddenly down. Harry was amazed he didn't snap his ankle, (or worse, his neck), but somehow he managed to stay together. With a smile that didn't convince Harry, he started to give the guy a lap dance. He swayed back and forth, hypnotically to the music. He ran his hands down his chest and onto his thighs, He turned quickly and rocked his hips, bringing his as an inch away from the guys face, before snatching it back seductively. The customer clearly loved it. He reached up and slapped his ass, hard enough to send him rocking on his high heels. Draco looked around desperately for a bouncer, but the only one nearby smiled and waved, clearly not giving a fuck, probably enjoying the show himself. Draco kept going, bending his knees, going low and opening his legs, show off their long, graceful shape. The customer reached out and ran one hand down his thigh. Draco tried to push him off, but he seemed not to care.

Finally, the bouncer got board. He marched over. "You know the rules, If you want to touch, you have to buy a private room." He informed the guy. "And this one bruises easily, maybe try and hold back a bit. Boss was talking about banning you after last time. You put that one out of work for a week"

Draco looked like was about to cry. The customer, however, looked smug. He whispered something to the guard and they both laughed uproariously as Draco flinched. The bouncer lead them both to the back, The customer holding Draco close, so he couldn't run.

Fuck, Harry thought.

He took his time getting home that night, his head reeling. Finally, he returned. He smiled, finding Severus in bed, but awake and waiting for him. Warm light spilled onto soft sheets, and Severus made the bed all warm and cozy for him. Harry sat down to take his shoes off.

"You're late." Severus said. Harry paused and looked at him, a serious expression on his face. He didn't say anything for several moments. Severus frowned. Was that the wrong thing to say? He didn't mean it as a criticism, just an observation. He opened his mouth to explain, but he had no time.

Instead Harry sighed and said "He can stay with us."


	2. Chapter 2

Severus threw his arms around Harry.

"Really?" He exclaimed "I am extremely shocked, but incredibly grateful, thank you Harry" Harry hugged him back, feeling good about himself. He knew it was the right thing to do, though already he was dreading it.

"There have to be rules though." He cautioned.

"Of course." Severus said, drawing back and listening attentively.

"I mean...what can he do?" Harry asked seriously. " can he work?"

"Well...he can work, as long as it's within the boundaries of the house.

"Ah. So...no, basically. Okay. Can he do magic?"

"He's not allowed…" Severus admitted.

"Okay...can he do anything useful, like cook?"

"Well, he can learn." Severus said diplomatically. Harry rolled his eyes. For someone that had been expected to cook, clean, garden, and basically manage an entire household for most of his life, Draco struck him as particularly pathetic.

"Remember that he's never lived without magic before." Severus reminded him softly.

"Yeah i know."

"So...what rules?"

"He has to contribute something. I'm not running a charity, he can earn his keep or he can get out. I understand if thats cleaning and cooking and stuff, but he has to do something." Already Harry was getting angry, remembering the spoilt brat he used to know. Why was he doing this again?Letting that asshole weasel out of punishment again, it was almost too much. Ug. He sighed, looking at the expression on Severus's face. That was the reason why, he remembered with a small smile.

"Secondly," Harry continued. "He's not allowed in our bedroom. For any reason."

"Okay"

"And he's not allowed to talk to me. If he has anything to say to me, he can say it through you. Although if he knows what's good for him, he won't. And actually" Harry said, finally crawling into bed. "I don't want to see him either. He can stay in his room when I'm in the house. He can come out when I'm at work or whatever. But otherwise…"

He snuck a look at Severus's face. Was that too harsh?

"I understand. He will too. You'll never have to see him." Severus promised. "Is that it?" He asked, after a pause.

"For now." Harry said, curling around Severus.

"I really appreciate this you know." Severus said as he turned off the light.

"Good. You better." Harry said, mostly joking.

But as the days went on, Harry couldn't help adding more and more rules. Some were fair, like

"Oh, he absolutely isn't allowed to touch my magical items, like my invisibility cloak. And if he goes near my firebolt, i'll kill him."

Some were a bit harder for Severus to swallow, like "I don't want him writing letters to anyone. Like you said, he doesn't have any non death eater friends anyway."

By the time Harry was done, it was a rather long list.

But Severus wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth, he ascertained Draco's price and paid it as quickly as possible, although it still took several days.

Which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, as they did have some preparation to do before he could arrive. They selected a bedroom for him, Harry wanted to give him the smallest, but Severus pointed out that if he couldn't leave for days at a time, he should at least get an ensuite. Harry nodded and said nothing.

Severus also had to get supplies for him, mainly clothes, but also things like cookbooks, and the increasingly popular "How to live as a muggle, for frustrated ex death eaters" series of books. Lots of people had had their magic taken away, it actually created quite a large market of things to help bridge that muggle/wizard gap.

Feeling that he should at least get Harry's opinion he asked

"Would you prefer him to wear muggle clothes or wizard's robe?"

"I don't care, i'll never see him." Harry said, flicking through a quidditch magazine. "But actually, muggle."

Severus nodded.

"You'll need to pick a collar for him as well." Severus said, silently hoping that Harry wouldn't object to this. He had promised Harry he wouldn't have anything to do with Draco, and actually, he already done quite a lot, what with picking the room and everything. But, since Harry was paying the bill, he was required to pick the collar and sign some paperwork. Harry rolled his eyes but said nothing, Severus handed over the catalog and watched. This was actually going to be a rather interesting test. Which would Harry pick? If he truly didn't care, hed pick at random and move on quickly. If he wanted revenge, he'd pick one with a built in 'training' (punishment) charm. Severus crossed his fingers, anything would be better than that.

Harry took his time. He smirked as he came to one page in particular and studded it for a long time. "That one." He said, handing the catalog back.

Severus looked down. It was a page of gryffindor themed ones, and Harry had picked the most gryffindor like one, with an Argyle pattern of gold, red and black, and cursive "G,s" laced through out. So he was going for humiliation then. He sighed again. He just hoped that Harry wasn't going to intentionally antagonize Draco… and of course, that Draco would do the same. He had confidence in neither.

But finally, one warm thursday in spring, he set out, ready to take possession of Draco.

No one had bothered to express this to Draco, as his "employers" considered him to be rather less than human. And so it was an utter shock, when, one day they threw some old and smelly muggle clothes at him and told him to get dressed.

He did, though his heart sank. What was this? Was it some exceptionally weird role play? That was his best guess, he could think of no other reason.

They lead him up stairs and into the lobby, now largely deserted. It was 1pm on a thursday, after all.

And then he saw Severus, waiting for him.

He screamed and ran towards him. He threw his arms around his neck and positively glowed with joy.

"I cant believe youre here!" He exclaimed, pulling back to look at the man properly. He looked good. His wounds from the war had finally healed, and for the first time in his life, he seemed happy.

Draco, on the other hand, looked terrible. He was far too thin, his eyes slightly wild, he was covered in bruises and a cut still bled under his ear. Severus frowned.

"Why are you here?" Draco asked, he still held him by the shoulders, unwilling to let go of the man.

"I've bought you. You can come home-"

At this Draco screamed again, throwing himself in the man's arms. When he calmed down again (it took a moment) He finally said

"I thought you were living with Potter these days, at least that's what i heard? Ha! I guess i should never trust the daily prophet, i knew that couldn't be true-"

"I am."

"Wow." Draco said, taking a moment to let that sink in. "So...he's okay with this?" He asked incredulously.

"Not exactly." Severus admitted. " But basically, as long as you stay out of his way, he'll do his best to pretend that your not there."

"Okay, i can do that." Draco said immediately. He wasn't about to argue, anything would be better than this place. A bouncer glared at them, clearly annoyed to see Draco so happy.

"Let's go then." He said, in a hurry to get out of that place.

The only thing to do was to exchange Draco's old collar for the new. This was done quickly, without ceremony, both men doing their best to ignore it. Draco smiled sadly when he saw his new one. There was something deeply perverse about making Draco wear the gryffindor house colors, but he didn't blame Harry, he'd do the same if the situations were reversed. Although, Draco reminded himself, if the situation was reversed, pretty much everyone on the planet would be dead, there would be a new world order of evil, and tyranny would reign supreme. So. Maybe it was a good thing that their situation was not reversed. Besides, he was too tired to complain, too desperate to leave here to jeopardize his future.

Of this, Severus was incredibly glad. Maybe things would be okay after all.

He probably found it the most uncomfortable of anyone. Draco genuinely didn't care what the collar looked like, and Harry took active pleasure in it. For Severus, it was just sad. But he didn't say anything either. Instead, he took Draco to his new home.

As they walked through the little garden and up to the large front door, even Draco was impressed. As they walked in side, he was...less impressed. Harry seemed to have much more money than taste, Draco found the inside to be gaudy and tacky. Wisely, he said nothing. It was, at least, extremely comfortable, and he knew he was lucky.

Severus took him upstairs, to his room. It was sparsely furnished, which was actually a nice change from the overwhelming decorations of downstairs. It had light blue walls, with certain sections darker than others. It seemed Harry had taken down multiple paintings before his arrival. On the far wall, there was a large lead glass window, obviously old, as it was criss crossed with dimons of iron. This was framed with blue and white curtains. There was a bed, and for this alone Draco was grateful. The last few months had taught him to value the little things, to presume nothing. And a door lead to a small, but pretty bathroom. Draco loved it.

"Thank you so much for doing this." He gushed. "I know it's not easy…"

"Its not, Harry is most opposed to you being here. Give him any excuse, and he won't hesitate to get rid of you." Severus informed him bluntly.

"I know." Draco said sadly. "What does he...expect of me?"

Severus sighed and leaned against the wall, rubbing his temple. "You have a lot of rules."

When Severus was done explaining them, Draco nodded. It was… a lot. He wondered if some of them were traps, meant more to trip him up than to please Harry. Draco clenched his jaw. He wouldn't let that happen.

"But over all." Severus said, coming to the end of a long monologue detailing all Harry's rules. "Your expected to clean, cook and take care of the garden."

"Oh god, i was always terrible at herbology…"

"Well most of these plants are muggle, so they shouldn't be too bad. I'm more worried about you cooking."

This was very true. Draco had never seen seen a muggle oven before. It was with some trepidation that he went down stairs to look at it. It seemed...kind of scary. This big box of lifeless metal, that would explode if he used it wrong. And it wasn't going to talk to him, give him any warning at all, it would just burst into flames. To Draco, who was used to even mirrors talking, this was extremely off putting.

"He expects you to make dinner for us tonight."

"Wow." Draco said, tentatively taking a step closer to the thing. He still hadn't got within ten feet of it, he was gazing at it nervously from across the room. Severus tutted. He wasn't used to muggle appliances either, but his safety did not rely on him being so. Dracos' did, and so Severus hassled him over to it with no sympathy.

He gave a lecture (It took him right back to his teaching days at hogwarts. God he hated teaching) about how to use the oven, and not just the oven but all of the appliances. The dishwasher, the fridge (Yes, you have to close it yourself), the toaster, the microwave...by the time he was done, Draco's head was reeling. They hadn't even got to the vacuum cleaner yet. For the first time, he seriously doubted if he could do this.

"Its 4 o clock. Harry's usually back by 5:30. I suggest you start."

"WHAT?" Draco asked, suddenly panic stricken. "What do i do?"

"Were you not listening?"

"I was, but-"

Severus sighed. "I suggest you make some pizza. Its relatively easy. There's a cookbook on the side and pre made dough in the fudge." And he left. Draco stood, thinking hard.

Fridge...fridge...which one was that again? Ah. Right. The cold one. Fridge, like frigid. Draco found the dough, poking it nervously. He read the instructions all the way through, multiple times. It should only take about twenty minutes, but he thought it was best to start early.

Which was good, because the first attempt was terrible. Burnt and strangely sweet. What was up with that? And so he tried again. And again. And on the 3rd try, he actually thought it was okay. But before he had a chance to try it, he heard the front door open, and he froze. It must be Harry. His blood ran cold, hie eyes went wide. Would he be able to get upstairs without being seen? Should he hide in here, wait for Harry to pass, or should he run?

Thankfully, Severus came to save him. Wordlessly he marched in, Grabbed Draco and marched him out, up a back staircase and into his room.

"I don't think i have to tell you," Severus whispered. "That you are on extremely thin ice. One wrong step…"

"I know." Draco said sadly.

"This had better be good." Severus added, shut the door behind him, and went down to Harry.

"Hey!" Harry said, upon seeing him descend the stairs. "Something smells good" He added cheerfully. And then he wished he hadn't. He had, just for a moment, forgotten that it was probably the work of Malfoy. He hated complementing that little twerp.

"Good" Severus said, leading him into kitchen and taking the pizza out with a flourish.

"Oh its pizza." Harry said, a note of triumph in his voice "That is the easiest thing to make."

Severus rolled his eyes. This childish instance on hating Draco, was, well...childish. It made him uncomfortably aware of their age difference. To his credit, Harry was a particularly mature person, the war had aged him in many ways. But this was a bit ridiculous.

Severus told him so, practically throwing the pizza down.

It was so ridiculous, Harry almost laughed. Almost. But he got pissed off instead.

"Oh like your so much better. You've never got over the past, you still haven't." Harry objected.

"I don't have him living in my house, it doesn't affect me-"

"Oh now your throwing in my face?" Harry said, his voice raising. This was so unfair! After everything he'd done-

"No, that's not-" Severus said, his voice rising too.

Draco listened guilty, only one floor above them. God he felt bad. He knew Severus had only just settled down and got his life together, and he didn't want to ruin that. But what could he do? He couldn't apologize, Harry had made it very clear he never wanted to speak to Draco again. There was nothing he could do, expect listen in and hope things got better.

"I honestly can't believe you." Harry railed. "He's been in my house for like, an hour" Harry exaggerated. "And your already demanding more from me?!"

"Its not that." Severus spat back.

"Then what?!" There was a long pause.

"We've never talked about your father…" Severus said, but softly this time.

Harry sighed. "No... We still have a lot to talk about, actually."

Harry didn't like this feeling, this feeling like their relationship was based on sand and one wrong conversation and everything would come falling down. It was true, they'd been avaioing anything too heavy for a long time now. They were so focused on just getting their lives together that they barely had the time. So relieved to have survived that they were happy to sweep everything else under the rug. But it couldn't stay that way forever.

"I know he did bad things...but he was still my dad…"

Severus winced. This was too much for him. "Let's not talk about it now. Lets just...enjoy the pizza."

God, he really hoped Draco had got it right.

He had, mostly. It was an odd shape, and the dough was pretty lumpy, but it was okay. It tasted good even if it looked a bit odd.

Harry was deep in thought, just starting the washing up when-

"You don't have to do that, you know." Severus reminded him. "Leave it, Draco will do it in the morning."

Oh yeah! Harry realized for the first time. Now that was a nice perk, he could get used to that. Severus came close, hugging him from behind.

"See? Its not so bad." He said gently.

"I know…" Harry admitted reluctantly.

That night in bed, they curled around each other in their typical pose, Harry on his back, Severus's head on his chest. Severus took a deep breath and looked up at him, snuggled tightly under his arm.

"Im sorry...about the fight tonight. I hope you know i do appreciate what your doing."

Harry smiled into the dark. Yeah, he knew. He kissed severus softly. It turned passionate quickly, Harry never needed much encouragement when it came to Severus.

They fucked, it was wild, raw and passionate. And extremely loud. Harry got far louder than he ever had before, screaming Severus's name and moaning with each thrust.

"God I love being inside of you."" Harry screamed.

It was for show, of course. He knew Draco could hear, It was some dark and primal need to mark his territory. Draco received the message loud and clear; Harry was in charge.


	3. Chapter 3

Harry tossed and turned all that night, but he couldn't sleep. He was too focused, too alert. It was like there was a black cloud in the house, casting an ominous gloom over everything. No, it was like there was a magnet, drawing all Harry's attention, a powerful force that wouldn't let him go.

He had an intense awareness of where Draco was. Even though he was always rooms, or floors away, even though he was never directly seen, he was focused on. Over the next days and weeks, Harry suddenly felt as if everything he did was preformative. He couldn't just kick off his shoes at the end of a long day, confident he'd go back and get them later. Now, it was silent insult, a task for Draco. But he couldn't pick them up either, that would be kowtowing to Draco, and he certainly would never do that. And everything was like that, a silent message for him to obsess over.

Although, that was just about the only drawback. Suddenly, his home was always spotless, his meals cooked for him, his things organized pleasingly. He told himself again, and again, to just sit back and enjoy it. But he couldn't.

It was stressful, it made him restless and uneasy. It was impossible for Severus not to pick up on it. He tried to help how he could, but he was lost. In their relationship, it had always been Harry to approach him, Harry that helped Severus. He tried, but he found he was awkward and stilted about it.

And Harry was too distracted to even notice. One night about two weeks after Draco had arrived, he'd had enough. It was 4:32am and he hadnt got a wink of sleep. He kicked off the covers and threw on his invisibility cloak. Silently, he made his way to Dracos room, and, quiet as he could, opened the door.

Draco was perched on his bed, books spread in front of him, his face set in a frown. He jumped as the door opened.

Immediately, he was suspicious. He didn't know for sure… but the rule about "dont touch Harry potter's invisibility cloak" immediately jumped to his mind. But, he decided, he was probably being stupid. If Harry wanted to see him, and he clearly didn't, he could just walk in. He could do whatever he wanted, (as usual, Draco thought bitterly) But still…that had never happened before.

Harry merely stood there, and looked at him. He couldn't help but feel a vicious pride, seeing him in a gryffindor collar. And he smirked to see what Draco was reading- a whole host of books on muggle technology. Good.

Draco sighed and went back to his studied. He certainly felt like he was being watched, but...he was probably just being paranoid.

Harry stood there for a long time, he wasn't sure why. Draco wasn't exactly doing much. But why was he awake at this time of night? Harry frowned. Was he not sleeping well? He rolled his eyes at himself, why should he care? And eventually made his way back to his own room, there to catch a few blessed hours of sleep.

Harry hoped that seeing Draco would act like a damn, stopping his curiosity and he could move on. But it was more like opening up a flood gate. Suddenly, he was coming home early, stopping by at lunch, leaving late- all so he could get a glimpse of him. The most he got was hurried footsteps that raced away from Harry

It took a few days, but eventually he admitted to himself what he was doing. And that it was totally insane. But that didn't stop him either, in fact, he ramped it up a notch. He pretended to leave, when actually, he'd requested the day off work. He threw on his cloak and snuck back in, there to watch Draco work.

It was actually rather mesmerizing. Draco, had, by now, settled into somewhat of a routine. He'd been there over a month, after all. At this moment, he was cleaning the living room, restacking the books that Severus had rather haphazardly strewn about the place. After that was done, he fluffed pillows, he dusted shelves, took away empty cups…

It was then that Harry made a mistake. He sat down. On a pillow Draco had just fluffed. Out of the corner of his eye, he noted the distinct shape of a person nestled into the couch. Draco knew instantly.

He wanted to yell, he wanted to scream "Why are you following me Potter?!" But he didn't quite dare. If Harry wanted to do so, it was his prerogative, it was his home after all. Besides, it got him thinking. Why WAS Harry acting like this? He'd always been a bit...stalker-ish at school. Whatever the truth of the matter, Draco sincerely believed that Harry instaged most of their fights.

Draco was thoroughly annoyed, but...deep down, he was a little flattered too. He couldn't help it, he did rather like attention. He knew he should be all mature and subservient, and let it go...but he couldn't. He had an idea. It was summer, after all, it was very hot work…. With a flourish, he pulled his top off. There was a sharp intake of breath, so quiet it would be easily missed by any other than a particularly paranoid slytherin. Draco hid his smile. So that's what Potter wanted.

He took a brief moment to finish with that room, before sidling upstairs. The creeks on the floor boards told him Harry was following rather closely. Draco tried to seem causal, to not hurry. But he was toying with Harry again and he loved it. He stepped into his bedroom, heading to the bathroom, making sure to leave the doors open. Here, Harry hesitated, but not for long. He heard the shower running and stepped in to see water running down Draco's naked body, steam curling around his tight torso. His back was to Harry, showing off his long legs, his muscular ass, his broad back. He knew he looked good.

Harry was transfixed. He silently prayed for Draco to turn around, he wanted to see everything. But Draco did not, it was better to leave something to the imagination, after all. Harry stepped closed, against his better judgement. Draco noticed his breath fogging the glass on the mirror and he smirked. He wasn't exactly sure what this was all about, but he knew he had Harry enthralled, and that, he desperately liked.

But he couldn't shower forever, sadly he still had to get work done. It wouldn't do to let his chores slide, after all. He stepped out, wrapping a towel around him, putting on a show as he got dressed. Harry skipped watching him return to work and instead retreated to his own bedroom, there to stroke his arousal into completion, thinking of nothing but Draco's perfect body, and what he'd like to do to it.

It was only later that night, laying in bed, that Draco realized it may have been a bad idea. He didn't want to break Severus and Harry up, he was so grateful for everything they'd done for him. It wasn't right. What he'd done. And bedies, if they broke up, he'd be fucked. Curious or no, Draco had no doubt that Harry would kick him to the curb without a second thought, if there was no Severus to fight for him. He suddenly felt very small and guilty. He rolled over. It was stupid. He was stupid. Just for a moment he'd felt… maschevious and carefree, kinda like when he was at school. Well, before the war started. But that wasn't the case any more, he couldn't act like a child here, that could get him sent back to...he shivered. He didn't want to think about that.

As annoying as Harry was, he was still in charge. And he was an incredibly hot headed person, it was probably best not to mess with him. Draco just wished it wasn't so incredibly easy.

Harry felt even worse about the whole thing. Hed expected to see Draco stealing something or something, not... that. Sliding into bed next to Severus, he felt almost as if he cheated. He clung to his partner, guilt and sadness eating at him. He didn't want to give this up. He loved Severus deeply. And he'd fought too hard to let it go for some pale little twerp.

"What's wrong?" Severus asked, perceptive as always.

Harry sighed and looked at him. "Draco needs to go."

"What?" Severus was stunned, as far as he was aware, things had been going relatively smoothly. He sat up, pulling away from Harry like he'd just been hit. "Why?"

"Its not working…"

"He's done nothing wrong-"

"No, i know-"

"Then why..." Severus thought for a moment, unsure of how to put this delicately."Please don't punish him because of your...issues. He has no where else to go, apart from that horrible place he came from, and Harry...i know you didn't see it, but it was so bad. I...I think he was being raped. They certainly had him doing a lot of...well really awful stuff like that."

Harry immediately felt even more guilty, although he didn't know how that was possible. Yeah, he knew, he remembered. He wished he could tell Severus that he had seen too, that that was what made him change his mind, but it seemed too late now. For the first time, he felt awful about his voyeurism.

"That's terrible." He said lamely.

"Even he doesn't deserve that, you know he doesn't…"

"Yeah, i know." Harry sighed. "I'm just…" He tried to explain, with out fully explaining. "I feel messed up, with him here. Even without seeing him, or talking to him, he's...here. And it really bothers me, it makes me feel so…" He searched for the right word. "On guard. All the time, I can never relax, i feel like this isn't even my home any more. And it's making me...go a little crazy, I think" That was the best way to describe it, Harry decided. He was slowly losing his mind, he must be. There was no other explanation for his erratic behavior recently.

Severus gulped, suddenly feeling very hot. He gathered Harry in his arms and just held him, thinking of what to say. He was suddenly very afraid for their relationship. He knew how much Home and Family meant to Harry, it was all he ever wanted. And if Severus couldn't give that to him...would Harry still want him? Besides, Harry deserved a perfect home, Severus knew he did. But...Draco didn't deserve to be in that awful place either. He hated this. Hated knowing how unhappy Harry was, hated feeling like he had to pick, hated the constant stress Harry was under.

His throat was suddenly very dry, but he said. "Can...can we at least try for another week? I'll get Draco to behave better, I'll make sure he'd in his room long before you get home, I know you hear him sometimes. In fact, ill sound proof his room, I'll….do anything i can." He ended lamely.

Harry sighed into Severus's neck. "Okay." He said finally. "We can keep trying, but you should know… I'm at the end of my rope with all this. I don't know how much longer i can keep going"

Severus's stomach tensed. Did that include their relationship? He didn't dare ask.

Instead, he took it out on Draco. The next morning, Harry left but he didn't.

"He wants to get rid of you. At the end of the week." Severus informed him bluntly. Draco wasn't even fully out of bed yet, bleary eyed and confused. But that woke him up sharply.

"What?! Why?" He gasped. He thought...he thought things were okay. What had he done wrong?

"I have no idea." Severus admitted. "But last night he was very serious about it. You have a week to convince him it's worth keeping you around."

Wait so...did Harry not enjoy his little show? His shoulders dropped and his face burned. He guessed not. God he was stupid. So arrogant to presume Harry would be interested. It was probably the opposite, Harry was probably pissed he'd taken time off.

"You have to be more quiet" Severus cautioned. "And you have to make sure you're in your room before he gets home from work, even when he gets home early." Severus had to admit, he'd been doing that a lot recently.

Draco was so tempted to just tell Severus everything, to blurt out "he follows me…" but he couldn't, it would surely ruin their relationship. And he couldn't be so ungrateful as to ruin the man's happiness, the one person that actually seemed to care for him.

But he didn't. "Okay. And i'll make his favorite dinner tonight."

"That's good. I'll try and keep him in a good mood as well."

The day went slowly for them all. For his part, Harry was dreading going home, having to see Severus's concerned looks and feel Dreacos dark presence. Severus felt much the same, and Draco spent the whole time agonizing over every little detail of the home, veen small things like the way the cups faced in the cupboard. The next few days went like that, slow and painful, until that Friday. That day, Harry didn't leave again. He couldn't help it, he needed to see Draco.

Draco wasn't aware of this fact until he was cleaning dishes, returning the empty wine glasses from the living room to the kitchen. He was just putting them back, when, from the other room he heard a faint sneeze. His heart dropped. What could he want this time? Harry silently cursed, but hoped he'd got away with it. From the look on Draco's face when he came back, he certainly hadn't. He was suddenly anxious and fidgety, his face pulled into a deep frown.

The sneeze, of course aroused Dracos supcions, and he picked up on the other little clues immediately. Footprints in the carpet, creaking floorboards, (Harry really should fix those if he wanted to creep around, he thought sullenly) the occasional sound of breathing. He was trying to ignore it, trying to act with calm dignity, focusing only on his work. But it was too much. He jumped at every little thing, his breathing tight and shallow. His mouth was so dry but he was afraid to have a drink, afraid it was the wrong thing to do.

Harry felt particularly guilty. He could see the worry etched on Draco's face. He was actually developing a nervous tick of chewing his bottom lip. What the fuck was he doing? He wondered to himself. This was so stupid…

Finally there was something neither of them could ignore. Draco was just putting last night's plates away, when one slipped in his soapy hands. It fell, but it didn't simply crash to the floor, no it very clearly hit _Something,_ before shattering on the ground.

Draco dropped to his knees, shakily and hastily picking up the pieces. Fuck, that was so bad. He knew Harry was looking for any excuse, and presumably destroying his extremely expensive personal property was a pretty good excuse.

Harry watched him on the floor, head bowed and back trembling. He was genuinely afraid, even Harry could see that. Harry hated himself just a little more.

Finally, Draco stood, the shards deposited neatly on the counter.

"I'm sorry." He said, his voice barely a whisper. And then, feeling he ought to do the thing properly if he was going to do it at all. He said, loudly. "Im sorry. I really am. I don't know if your here or not...I think...I think you are, but i just wanted you to know...Im really, really trying." And here his voice caught, he bowed his head, trying to hide his red rimmed eyes. "I don't know what you want from me." He continued. "But please don't get rid of me. Please don't send me back there."


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you for the reviews everyone. I know its super soppy, but they mean a lot to me, they really make my day. So thank you.

Harry was totally stunned by this. Last time he had watched Draco, he had seemed carefree, casual, even happy. This was...totally different. He had no idea what to do, he was about to reach out a hand to him, when he dashed from the room. Harry didn't follow. He didn't know what to weighed on his mind, and again, he couldn't sleep that night.

He tossed and turned and thought and planned. He wasn't going to send him away, that was as clear as day. If seeing him get a little upset bothered Harry this much, sending him back to a sex filled hell hole would surely kill him. But he couldn't keep doing this, this was insane. He was going to actually have to talk to him. Harry shivered with a

slight revulsion. They had to come to an understanding, and he knew it.

With a sudden resolve, he swung his legs out of bed. It was late, well past three in the morning, but Draco had been awake around this time before. He wouldn't wake him up, Harry resolved, but if he was awake, well...might as well have it all out, right? No time like the present.

He strode silently up the stairs and knocked softly on Draco door.

Inside, Draco froze. He was awake, wide awake in fact. But...surely he'd imagined that? It happened again, he hadn't. He gulped. Quickly, but quietly, he made his way to the door, and, with less flair and more hesitation than he'd hoped, opened it.

It was Harry. Draco tried to school his face into an appropriate expression, but as he didnt know what that was, it was very difficult.

Mercifully, Harry took control. "Hello" he said, breezing past Draco and into his room. Draco stood, shivering. It was late spring and a nice night, so he was only wearing his pajama bottoms. He felt horribly exposed. He wrapped his arms around his stomach, trying to shield himself as best he could.

"Hi" Draco replied.

"I thought we should talk about you being here...your position here."

What did that mean? Was Harry going to throw him out? He thought frantically. Severus did say that Harry had given him a weeks deadline, and that was technically today but… really? He didn't even get the full day? He supposed it made a twisted kind of sense, chuck him out while Severus wasn't there and then Harry could make up his own story about how it all went. Dracos insides churned, but he raised his chin defiantly. He wasn't going to let Harry get away with this, he decided. And he wasn't going to cry again either.

"Okay." Draco said, readying himself for a fight. "I don't think I've done anything wrong."

God, Harry was already finding him insufferable. In his defensiveness, he read arrogance, and he couldn't stand it.

"I think you've done a lot of things wrong- that's why you were convicted and are now a criminal." Harry shot back.

"I didn't mean that, and you know it." Draco glared at him. "I meant here, Potter-"

Harry couldn't resist, it seemed to simply come out of his mouth without his consent "I think you mean 'master'."

It was like being slapped, Draco actually staggered back, rage and hurt bubbling inside of him. But he knew he didn't have any choice.

"Fine. Master." Draco said it was such venom and rage the word itself was mutilated. But it still gave Harry a disgusted thrill. "You've never even given me a chance-" He said, a little louder than he intended.

"I haven't?!" Harry screamed back. "What about now? When I let you live in my house for free, and saved you from some terrible fate, and-"

"I mean after that-"

"How many chances do you think you deserve?!" Harry demanded. God he wanted to hit him.

"I don't, i just think that if you were going to take me in, you should give me a real chance!"

"Your right i should have just left you where you belong." Harry bellowed back.

"That's not-" Draco raged back. He had no idea what he was going to say, honestly. But thankfully, he didn't have to. The door opened again and a particularly furious Severus stalked in.

"What on earth is going on?" He asked.

"We thought we'd have a friendly little chat." Draco supplied, suddenly more confident now he wasn't alone. He felt sure Severus would be on his side.

"At this time of night?"

"It's a rather interesting habit of his." Draco said again, turning on Harry.

Harry blushed, but did not hesitate. "He keeps me awake at night."

"Hardly likely, since i do nothing more than read-"

"My god, will the two of you-" Severus tried to interject, but no one was paying him any attention.

Harry dogged him and rounded on Draco, who stood definitely, proudly not backing down. Harry couldn't stand his arrogance, his haughty pride.

"You are insufferable. You deserve to go back to whatever little filthy hole you crawled out of, I don't care what happened to you-"

"I should, It would be better than being here with you." Draco lied, his chest tight.

"You deserve to be used like a whore," Harry spat. "It's all you're good for." So Harry knew all about that. Draco was humiliated, his lip trembled slightly. "Whatever they did to you, it clearly wasn't bad enough. Didn't teach you any manners, did they? You're still an evil little weasel, like always." Harry said, getting ever closer.

Draco knew he was about to cry and he'd be damned if he let Harry see him like that. So, in desperation, he said the only thing guaranteed to make it worse.

"Yeah, well, at least i didn't let all my friends die. You were what, a meter away from Granger and you still didn't do anything-"

That was it, Harry lunged at him. Pushing him down on the floor, one hand grabbing his neck, the other punching him in the face. Blood gushed, Harry didn't know or care where from. He put his whole weight on Draco's neck, Draco reached up, trying to claw Harry's hands off of his throat, his vision already going dark.

Severus intervened quickly. The only one with enough sense to use his wand, He magically yanked Harry off of Draco and threw him outside. He took one frantic look at Dreaco, just to make sure he was alive, before following Harry, locking Draco in his room.

Harry was shaking, his eyes wide, his face more manic than Severus had ever seen him. He felt the waves of anger rolling off of him, he was only a moment away from accidental magic. Severus didn't want to see what that was like, with someone this powerful and this vengeful...it could get really bad.

"Get rid of him" Harry hissed.

Severus had to think fast. "Harry." He said, deliberately calmly. He didn't want to have this conversation right now, he needed to calm Harry down first. "Are you okay?" Harry hesitated, he wasn't expecting that. Severus took a step closer, tentatively reaching out his hand. "I'm worried about you… I know how angry you must be…"

Harry nodded savagely, too angry to even speak.

"Let me make you some tea, let me take care of you." Severus cajolled. Wordlessly, Harry walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. It gave him some time to think. But he hadn't changed his mind.

"He has to go." He said, sitting at the counter, watching Severus make tea the muggle way, the way he liked it. He swore it tasted better. "How dare he say that to me." He said, his whole body so tense he felt like he was about to explode.

"Yes." Severus agreed, "that was awful. Inexcusable."

"Exactly!" Harry roared, grateful to have the man on his side.

"Why were you up there, anyway?" Severus asked.

"I was trying to talk to him. Normally. Rationally. And then he just immediately got...evil." Harry spat. There was no other word for it.

Severus nodded. He could see exactly what happened. Harry, hot headed and impulsive would not have seen how threatening it was to simply appear in Draco's room in the middle of the night. And Draco...well Draco had always had a knack for making things worse.

"I see." He said, handing Harry his mug. "That sounds...laudable."

"Yeah!" Harry said, self righteously. "I wanted to talk to him. I thought maybe…" And here his anger cooled significantly. He ran his hand through his hair and gazed deeply into his cup. "Maybe we could work something out."He laughed bitterly. Severus wisely said nothing, and after a few minutes of calm and silence, Harry said, sheepishly.

"Im surprised you're not angry at me, for...you know. Hitting Him."

"Im...shocked." Severus said delicately. "He cant fight back, you must know that. He has no magic and he's not allowed to hit you. It's...like hitting a child. He's utterly defenseless."

Harry didn't care. "Then he should act like it."

Severus nodded. "He should have certainly behaved better." Severus paused, weighing his words carefully. "Perhaps you can talk about it tomorrow."

Harry looked like Severus had just suggested murdering his own mother.

"What?! You can't seriously expect that. He has to leave. Tonight. Now." He stood up, as if planning to physically chuck Draco into the street, right then and there.

"You promised you'd give him a full week." Severus pointed out. Harry laughed. "That ends tomorrow. Give him the full day. Talk to him. Please? " Severus asked, wincing as he saw Harry's bloody knuckles curl around his cup.

"Why would I do that?" Harry demanded.

"Because...if you do, and...if it doesn't work out, I'll let him go too. And… I won't blame you. And i'll never bring it up again, and...everything will go back to the way it was." He promised. "As long as you give him a real chance."

Harry rubbed his face. God that was all he wanted, just for everything to go back to how it used to be. He, and Severus, in their own home, happy, together…no third wheel haunting their spare bedroom.

"Fine." He said, draining his drink "He has until 10 o'clock tomorrow evening."

And with that, Harry marched back to bed, downing a sleeping draught. He didn't want to be bothered by anything else.

Severus sighed, making another cup of tea and following Harry upstairs. But he bypassed their room and went all the way to Draco's.

He was right where Severus had left him, curled on the floor, blood running down his face, small spots on his bare chest. He looked up at Severus, defiance in his eyes. But he couldn't hold it under the man's silent gaze. He burst into tears.

He curled his knees to his chest and sobbed into them. It hurt his nose even more, but he didnt care. Severus merely sat next to was quiet for a moment, looking up at the window, out at the inky black sky and the soft lights of london. When he spoke, his voice was dead and hopeless.

"I can't believe you said that."

"I know." Draco sobbed. "I'm so sorry Im sorry Im sorry." His voice high pitched and franic.

Severus nodded slowly. "I thought he was going to kill you."

"I did too." Draco managed in between ragged breaths. "I can't believe that all happened. I'm so sorry." He repeated. And he collapsed into Severus, his head on his shoulder, his body falling into him. He wrapped his arms around the man's neck, and threw his legs over his lap. Severus froze. He had no idea what to do, this was very new to him. Plus, Draco was bleeding into his shirt.

"Im sorry, I've failed you." Draco whimpered. "You helped me so much and i fucked it up so badly." He wanted to scream, but he didn't dare, lest it provoke Harry again. He kept his voice low as a whisper. " I've ruined everything…"

"Let me heal you" Severus said, pulling back as much as he could- Draco was rather clinging to him. He frowned as he looked at the boy. His nose was certainly broken, and his eye was already starting to swell. There were even red marks around his neck where Harry had been strangling him. Severus cured him as Draco sobbed his apologies.

"I presume you've come to take me away then?" He asked finally. He didn't want it to happen, would do anything to delay the inevitable...but it was tortue not knowing.

"No." Severus said simply. "He's giving you another chance."

"You must be joking?" Draco demanded. That was insane, as far as he was concerned, that was certainly the craziest thing that had happened that night. "Why?"

"I made him." Severus said.

"Thank you." Draco gushed immediately. "Thank you so much. And please thank him for me, please tell him how sorry i am. I'll never do anything like that again, i promise. Tell him-"

"You'll have to tell him yourself." Severus said.

"What?" Draco asked, horrified.

"That's the deal. You have until 10 o'clock tomorrow night to convince him to let you stay. And you have to talk with him."

"I cant..."

"You can. Don't tell Harry…" And here, Severus couldn't look Draco in the face, he went back to staring out the window. "But i'll give you some felix felicis."

Draco gaped at him. Liquid luck? That actually could work, he felt, for the first time in so long, a small rush of hope. Severus was quick to squash it.

"It won't fix everything. It will only work for a few hours. But. It should be enough to get you two to come to an agreement."

"Thank you" Deraco breathed for the millionth time.

"This is not a permanent solution." Severus warned ominously.

"I know." Draco said. There was silence, and then a sigh.

"Get into bed." Severus ordered sadly. "You need your sleep. I'll see you tomorrow."

And so he did. Harry slept right through till noon, it had been a seriously strong potion he'd taken. Draco spent the morning swinging between anxiety and hope. At long last, Severus swept into the room. "He's awake. Take the potion and meet him downstairs."

Severus handed him a small vial, which seemed to glow a soft gold. "Now. I've diluted this slightly. That means it will last longer, but be slightly less effective. You will still feel your typical emotions. Try to ignore them and just let go. Trust your instincts- it's the potion talking to you."

"Thanks." Draco said, his mouth dry. He downed it in one. He had expected a flood of warmth and happiness. It was more like a drizzle. Severus hadn't been lying, he had diluted it. A lot. But, he was at least suddenly confident. He marched over to his dresser and immediately changed his clothes. He shed his typical, everyday wear for a pair of pale blue jeans that hugged him nicely, and a white button up that highlighted his slight and pale frame. He rolled up the sleeves and turned to Severus.

"Let me use your cologne."

"Oh."

But Draco just left, he knew he didn't need to impress Severus, the potion clearly didn't consider him to be a priority. He walked casually into Severus and Harry's room, flagrantly disregarding the number one rule (don't go in there for any reason) but he knew he wouldn't get caught. A few sprays and he smelt just like Severus, pine and soft spices.

He headed down the stairs. His stomach lurched as he approached the kitchen. He knew that where Harry was, he didn't know how he knew, but he knew.

He walked forward anyway, the potion egging him on. Harry was there, sitting at the counter, his head buried in the newspaper. Draco couldn't help it, he froze. He didn't think he was ready for this. But something overwhelmed him and he found himself saying, surprisingly calmly. "May I make you breakfast, Master?"

Harry barely looked up from the paper. "Okay." He said after a pause. Besides, today was going to be the last day he had a live in chef, might as well make the most of it, right?

Draco scuttled in. "I thought maybe bacon and eggs?" He offered. "Master." He added.

That sounded kind of nice, But Harry didn't want to admit it. "Make me pancakes." He ordered.

Draco did so, thanking his lucky stars that he actually knew how to make them. They didn't take long, and finally he presented the dish to Harry.

"May I get you something to drink, Master?" He heard himself ask.

"Coffee." Harry said, not looking up from his plate.

Inwardly, Draco groaned. He hoped the potion's plan wasn't simply to impress upon Harry how enjoyable to was be to boss Draco around. But then, even that would be better than going back. But Draco did as he was told, and deposited a cup of coffee next to Harry's plate.

Harry said nothing. He wasn't a bad person. He could tell how hard Draco was trying, and he appreciated it. There didn't seem to be an ounce of arrogance in Draco's body, and frankly, Harry was impressed. He didn't think it was possible for the man to breathe without exuding an air of sickening egotism. But for the moment at least, he seemed… tolerable.

Finally, he finished, and he had no excuse not to talk to Draco. For the first time that day, Harry looked at him. He was standing in the middle of the kitchen, his ice blue eyes clearly worried, his pearl white teah worrying his lower lip. He was dressed well, though. He looked like he was going for a job interview, Harry decided. Well. Good, he was in a certain kind of way. It pleased Harry that Draco was developing an affinity for muggle clothes and it pleased him even more to know that Draco was clearly trying to impress him.

Harry, in a quidditch T shirt and beaten up old jeans, leaned back in his seat.

"I just don't like you." He said, honestly.

Draco nodded.

"And I'll never forgive you for what you said last night."

Draco nodded again.

"So I don't see what we have to talk about."

Draco hestated, shifting on his feet. "Well. All Severus said was that he wanted me to talk to you…"

Ah. Yes. Severus. Harry looked at his watch. Only nine more hours and it would be just the two of them, together again. God he couldn't wait. "Yes." Harry said. "It was all his idea."

Draco nodded. There was a long pause. "You know… I never thanked the both of you for taking me in the way you did, Master."

"No you didn't." Harry said, tartly.

"Well, I want you to know how much i appreciate it. Even having a break from that place… even if i have to go back-"

"You do." Harry insisted.

"Well I hope you know it's meant the world to me. I don't think I could have survived much longer there. And It's really incredible to me that you took me in. Its astonishing you gave me another chance today, as well. So. Thank you, Master."

Okay, Harry was getting a little sick of this "Master" thing now. It was incredibly repetitive. But he'd be damned if he gave Draco permission to call him anything else.

"Why did you, if i may ask?" Draco continued.

"Severus." Harry said simply.

"You must really love him."

"I do." Harry said, smiling for the first time. "He's an incredible man." But Harry frowned again, thinking of everything Severus had done for him….Saved his life so many times. Held him together after Hermione passed. Single handedly taught him everything he knew about the Dark Lord, stood by his side even when everything looked so hopeless...

And he couldn't even forgive Draco his presence. How terrible was that? God, he felt like an awful boyfriend. He sighed, running his hands through his hair again.

"I'd do anything for him." Harry said, and looked up again at draco. _Even give you a chance_, he added to himself.

He sighed. God he was in an impossible position. But he would try for Severus. He'd do anything for Severus.

"Let's go for a walk. We can talk at the park. We can...try."

Draco beamed.


	5. Chapter 5

"Arnt you cold?" Harry asked as they walked down Bayswater Road. It was mid may, but there was still a bite in the air.

"A little." Draco admitted humbly. "But i don't have a jacket."

"You don't?"

"Severus bought me a lot of clothes before I arrived, but no jacket. I think he presumed I wouldn't need it, as i can't really go outside."

Of course, Harry remembered, he can't leave the house without an escort. He suddenly felt guilty.

"Wow, it must have been weeks since you've been outside."

"It's been...Months, i think? Six or seven months maybe." Draco said, his eyes fixed straight ahead. His licked his lips nervously. "I wasn't allowed outside...you know, where I used to be, either"

Harry hesitated. "What was it like there?" He asked. He'd always been curious. If he was being honest with himself, the question had been weighing on his mind ever since he'd gone to see Draco there.

.

Draco was silent for a long time. They got to a park entrance and strolled casually in. The lawn was vast and green, and in the distance there were tents set up, some kind of market. Finally, Draco said.

"Bad. I mean...it sounds like you already know…" Harry winced. He had said some stuff he regretted last night as well. "I was technically an exotic dancer. But that turned very quickly into sex work. And...there were a lot of people who were very angry with me. It turned into… a way to get vengeance for them, I think. They used me as symbol for all of the death eaters and all of the war. So they had a tendency to...take out their problems on me."

The bright sunlight streamed onto Harry's face, the breeze ruffled his hair. He sighed sadly, t he was ready to be the bigger person. "I'm sorry about what i said last night. You don't deserve that."

Draco fought to keep his nerve, he was suddenly so scared he was sure he was going to be sick. He was not ready to talk about last night. But he had no choice, he couldn't simply ignore it.

"Thank you." He said quietly. " I understand why you did though. And I am, course deeply sorry about what i said."

Harry wasn't ready to forgive that, he wasn't sure if he would ever be. It hit far too close to home, it picked up on his deepest fears and regrets. It was too true. So he said nothing. They walked in silence to the market. It seemed to be some kind of fair. There were food stalls and artisans and volunteer programs trying to get business…They walked idly through the stalls, saying nothing, untill-

"Here." Harry said finally. He held a black hoodie in his hands. "This will be good for you." He held it out, it was a good size, and seemed nice and warm. He'd paid for it before Draco had even been able to open his mouth. It seemed to be a pretty ordinary hoodie to him, but the seller eagerly assured him it was organic, fair trade and a lot of other things Harry didn't bother listening to.

"T-thank you" Draco spluttered as he put it on. "You look nice in it, i hope it's comfortable."

"It is, thank you." He repeated.

They kept going, buying oreo frappes at a sweet stall and making a somewhat successful stab at small talk, before finding a tree to recline against as they drank.

The day was nice and clear and the conversation smooth. Draco decided to take a chance.

""Why do i bother you so much?" He asked.

Harry didn't hesitate. "You should have died. It should have been you and not Hermione."

To his surprise, Draco nodded. "Yeah." He said sadly.

"You agree?" Harry was flabbergasted. He expected the opposite- pompous claims to pure blood power and a long list of how great he was.

"Oh yeah. She would have been so much better. She would have done so much more than I ever could. She could have been minister of magic if she wanted to."

Harry looked down, it had been a long time since he'd talk to anyone about her. He found it so uncomfortable, and yet, he loved it.

"Its nice to hear you say that." Harry said. God he missed her so much.

"You probably won't believe me…" Draco said, looking sad.

"No I will. What? Tell me." Harry said, curiosity getting the better of him.

Draco hestated. "I used to have a huge crush on her." He admitted finally.

"What?!" Harry exclaimed.

"Yeah. I thought she was...great. I know i showed it horribly, but it's true. I thought about her all the time. She...strangely, bizarrely was really important in my life. I was really upset when she died."

His voice shook just slightly, and Harry suddenly, completely believed him.

"I I never knew…" He said softly.

"My family genuinely would have murdered me as a blood tarior if anyone knew, so...probably for the best that you didn't."

Harry leant back against the tree, his head spinning. This changed everything for him. It was only now, with the subject out in the open that he realized how much the war and the losses were still affecting him.

Draco, sensing that Harry was getting a little overwhelmed, gently changed the subject. Soon they were talking about quidditch, and they were actually having fun! The potion was doing a lot of heavy lifting, deftly avoiding sensitive topics, but it worked.

In time, they got up again and walked through the fair, stopping for anything interesting, Harry spending lavishly. He had to admit it- he was showing off a little. He remembered how much Draco liked money when they were at school and presumed it was still the same.

The easy, drifting conversation continued, until they came to a single large tent, packed with tables. On each table stood two or three cages and in each cage, at least one cat.

"Awww!" Draco immediately cooed, making a beeline for a fluffy white kitten.

"You like cats?" Harry asked, smiling. He looked up, noticing suddenly a large banner that boasted "London's largest cat adoption fair!"

"I love cats!" Draco gushed. "I grew up with them. I wanted to bring mine to Hogwarts, but my mum wouldn't let me, said I had to have an owl so i could stay in contact with her."

"You had a cool owl."

"I did. But...you couldn't really cuddle them. Not the way you can with cats, anyway"

He was totally enthralled by the cats, one especially seem to have caught his eye. A black little thing with white paws was playing happily with the string on Draco's hoodie, batting at it with both paws, almost falling over with the enthusiasm of his movement.

"He likes you." Harry commented

They had a fantastic time, they must have looked at every single cat there, discussing each in detail, assigning them names and histories, fantasizing about what each must be thinking. They laughed so hard it hurt, and Harry spent the whole time grining from ear to ear. There was a lot he was suddenly appreciating about Draco, his wit, his intelligence, his unique perspective (In truth Harry had never really talked to a 'real' pureblood before, he didn't count the Weasley's as they were so muggle loving that they he barely remembered they were pure blood.)

"You should get a cat." Draco tempted, cuddling a kitten so fluffy you could barely see its face.

"I should ask Severus, really." He pointed out.

"Eh. He owes you." Draco said casually. "You let his awful, arrogant, lay about God Son stay with you for weeks."

Harry couldn't help it, he laughed.

"You can always foster." Said a bright eyed volunteer. "Take a cat in for a trial period, see how it gets along in your household."

Harry looked between them, the incredibly earnest volunteer and Draco a look of serene adoration on his face as he moved on to the next cage, which held an unusually large ginger tom. He couldn't help it. He was so happy, the day was going so well, he couldn't bare the thought of ruining it all with a minor practicality.

"Okay." He said. Draco squealed with delight. They started looking in earnest, they fell in love with every single cat. But it was that little black kitten from the start that they finally came back to.

"He's so adorable!" Draco declared. Harry had to agree. And it was clear the cat loved Draco back, he utterly ignored harry in favor of Draco.

"We'd like this one." Harry said to the volunteer.

"Ah. That one is…a little complicated." Said the volunteer. "You see, he's part of a bonded pair. He's very close to his sister. You really shouldn't split them up."

"Yeah? Where is she?"

"She's sick. She was the runt of the litter, and she still needs to be bottle fed every few hours."

Harry groaned. He was a sucker for sad stories and he knew it. He took one look at Draco and said "I guess we'll have to have both then."

It took a little convincing. They weren't meant to just hand sick kittens out like that, But Harry had magic on his side, so pretty soon she was utterly convinced they'd be perfect cat parents. They stocked up on basic items quickly, transfiguring anything they couldn't immediately find. To be honest,Harry was pushing his luck doing so much magic in front of muggles. But he was used to a certain amount of sneaking around, so he figured it was fine.

Finally, they had them both in a cat carrier, one black kitten with white paws, one grey and white girl, curled up in the corner, barely moving.

"Your coming home to your new family!" Draco cooed through the bars of the cat carrier.

Harry winced slightly. There was literally nothing more perfect Draco could have said. Harry wanted a family so badly. And he had that, mostly, with Severus. But now, for the first time, he was seeing that maybe having just one other person felt kinda small. And maybe he could see the appeal of three people in the home. And maybe he didn't want to banish Draco. For now, he said nothing. But well, he was warming to the idea considerably.

They got back after a short stroll, Harry was glad it wasn't much longer, the cats weren't heavy, but they were scrambling around a lot, and it was awkward to hold them.

As he got nearer and nearer the door, he got less and less confident. He really should have checked with Severus. He knew that. Hed just got kinda swept up with everything...They walked inside, placing the carriers down on the coffee table. Harry immediately went to find Severus.

"You got what?" Severus asked as soon as Harry had explained everything.

"A cat. Well, a kitten, well...two kittens."

Severus's jaw dropped open. But...he was rather used to Harry's insane ideas and sudden impulses. He closed his mouth and merely nodded. Harry threw his arms around him.

"I knew you'd understand!"

Severus didn't, particularly. He was a little bit hurt that Harry had not consulted him on this rather major decision. But, he trusted his potion making skills. He knew the felix felicis would be working his magic, and if that's where it lead them, well...so be it. As long as it helped Draco. He left the two of them alone, cautiously optimistic that they may find common ground.

When Harry returned, Draco was busy setting up their food, getting out their toys. Inside the carrier, the cats were mewling softly.

"You haven't let them out?" Harry enquired, his brow furrowed.

"Oh. I was waiting for you, Master." Harry squirmed at that word again. He had such complicated feelings about it…

"Oh. Well thanks." Harry knelt down next to the cage and opened it slowly. The brother shot out, tumbling off of the table and onto the floor, before confidently zooming off. He did a loop of the room, jumping from table to chair, to couch to curtain rail, before launching himself at Draco's head, landing miraculously on his shoulder.

They couldn't help but roar with laughter. It took them ages to settle on a name, it actually turned out to be an extremely good "getting to know each other" exercise, as they both suggested names from their past or their interests. For Harry, it was largely obscure inventors, who he'd taken a shine to reading about recently, such as Orwell Shiminerier, who invented the Nimbus serierse of brooms. For Draco, it was a long list of pure blood ancestors, although he tried to underplay how important this actually was to him.

Finally, the settled on a name- Chaos for the boy (Kay for short) because he was already making a total mess of everything. The girl they called Coco, apparently after Coco Chanel. Harry wasn't too sure about this, but Draco assured him it was a good fit. Besides, apparently she was a muggle and so Harry was content with that.

By now it was late, the sun starting to set, filling the room with a soft pink glow. Draco felt nervous, like the felix felicis was wearing off. He shivered. He tried to relax, tried to find that instinct Severus was talking about before… But it was so hard, he was a mere three hours away from the deadline and Harry hadn't made any mention of things one way or the other.

"Shall I make dinner, Master?" Draco offered, trying to sound confident and casual, like he used to. He didn't quite manage it.

"Oh. UH." Harry said. He couldn't fight it anymore, he was rather uncomfortable. "Sure. Whatever you want. And you'll, uh...join me, right?" He said. "I...I think that would be really fun."

"I'd love to."

Draco threw himself into dinner that night, making the fanciest thing he knew, lamb and spinach filo pie, garnished with rosemary and an orange chocolate moose to finish. It didn't take too long, in under and hour he was setting the table. He hesitated. Harry asked him to join him...but did he mean it? Was it presumptuous to set a place for himself? He dearly wished he could feel the effects of felix felicis again. He closed his eyes and breathed out.

He felt the corner of an idea, like old wallpaper wanting to be pulled down. He grabbed a try and bought the food out to Harry and the cats. He paused at the sight he saw. Harry was beant over Coco, lovingly and tendering feeding her her special food with a eye dropper. Draco would feel the love radiating off of Harry. It was a moment of pure compassion, you could have cursed the glasses off of his face and he wouldn't have noticed, he was that focused. Just looking at him right now you could tell how much he cared, how deeply he felt the need to nurture things. It was a kind of intimacy Draco had never seen before. He wanted to stay like that forever, but, knowing he couldn't, he coughed slightly and set the tray down before Harry. Draco was afraid he'd be angry at being interrupted, but he wasn't. He beamed up at Draco, before digging in eagerly.

"Wow, this is amazing!" He said honestly. "Sorry, i didn't mean to sound surprised, it's just really, really good."

"Nah its fine, besides, who ever thought i'd be good at anything muggle related right?" Draco said, trying a joke at his own expense. It worked, Harry laughed, relieved to see that Draco really wasn't that arrogant any more.

"Thank you for making this." Harry said earnestly. "And thank you...I'm surprised at how enjoyable today has been."

They also drank. Not a lot, but a little. Harry poured them both liberal amounts of red wine, and they both got rather giddy, rather quickly.

Largely, they focused on the antics of the cats. In between making sure Kay was safe and feeding Coco her special cat formula, it was actually quite a busy night. Harry took charge of Coco, and well, Kay couldn't seem to get enough of Draco.

The clock ticked forward. As it crawled towards ten o'clock, Draco coward, so afraid of the axe that was about to fall. But then it got there, and then it passed, and still Harry said nothing. Had he passed? Had he been given a silent reprieve? He dared not ask, hoping somehow that Harry would forget, that they'd simply wake up tomorrow and keep going in this lovely harmony.

It was half past eleven when Draco finally said. "Shall I clear the plates, master?" He was curled up in a large arm chair across from Harry, Blizz on his lap, and a glass of wine in one hand. He didn't want too, but Harry looked tired, like he was about to fall asleep right then and there.

"Oh. Uh." Fuck it, it was time to say something, Harry recklessly decided, fueled more by wine and sleep than logic. "You know, you don't have to call me that any more."

"Really?" Draco asked.

"Yeah. I mean, you won't be around to call me anything soon."

Draco face fell. For the third time in as many days, his eyes welled with tears.

Shit. sounded awful, Harry realized with horror. Harry truly hadnt meant it like that. He'd meant it as a joke, like how Draco had kind of been laughing at his experience the whole day. He meant it like that!

"Uh….you know." Harry said lamely, trying to bring it back.

Draco hunched forward. He couldn't hide and he hated it. He felt so exposed, so stupid. He had really thought today had gone well enough, he had really thought he passed.

"No i get it." He said, his voice cracking. He looked away, eyes wet. God he hated himself. Was he really going to cry, yet again? This was so old by now. "You don't like me, you made that really clear. Thank you for making my last day so enjoyable, i guess. I-" And he had to stop to swallow the lump in his throat. "I really did enjoy it. And i thought you were too. I wish I'd done more, I wish I'd been better for you." He stopped. He realized he was rambling.

Fuuuuuuuuuck, Harry hadn't meant to say that at all. He had enjoyed their day. A lot. He liked Draco, realized with a slight shock.

He looked over at Draco, his beautiful face creased with worry and sadness. It was time, he knew he couldn't avoid it was no getting out of this, he was either going to have to commit, right here and now, to letting Draco stay with them. Or he was going to lose him, forever. He wished it was easy, wished he could get over the past and fling his arms open with ready abandon. But it wasn't easy. It was really hard. He took a deep breath, and opened his mouth.

"Draco, I…."


	6. Chapter 6

Hey, I just wanted to say a massive thank you for the reviews! They make my day, I read them over and over again. So thanks. I hope you enjoy.

"That was really harsh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so...cruel."

Draco said nothing, but bit his lip,

"I enjoyed today too." Harry continued. He knew he was just stalling for time. Fuck it.

"You can stay. I want you to stay."

Harry expected Draco to look pleased. He just looked confused. "Really?" He asked. "It doesn't sound like...like that's what you want."

"No I do." Harry reassured him. How could he not? "At least….I don't want you to leave."

Draco nodded, somehow that made a lot more sense.

"Okay. Well. Thank you. It...this is the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me and I hope you know how much I appreciate it."

Harry just shifted uncomfortably. " Im sorry I've made everything so hard for you. I really am, I've been….mixed up, recently, and...well, I want you to know that things really will be better from now on. I'll make sure of it."

Draco couldn't help but say, "If I knew what you hated so much...about me, or what I've been doing the last few weeks...I could change it? Not make the same mistakes again?"

"Nothing. I don't know. I think...I think avoiding you was a mistake. Besides, we had fun today right?"

Draco nodded, his mouth suddenly dry. Severus's words came back to him. "This is not a permanent solution…" suddenly, Draco wished Harry would just leave him alone.

"Yeah. We did." Draco said meekly.

Harry sighed and stood, placing Coco gently in the cat bed.

"I'm going to bed. It's late and Severus will be wondering…"

"Right. Yeah." Draco said, suddenly wrong footed again. "I'll see you tomorrow, I guess?"

Harry nodded, forcing a sad smile. He headed up to his room, collapsing into the bed and snuggling up to Severus.

"So?" Severus asked immediately.

"He can stay."

Severus pulled Harry close, kissing him deeply. "Thank you." They molded into each other's arms, affection soon turning to erotisism, and there they happily spent the night, sliding into each others soft caresses, molded and bound as one.

Draco, meanwhile, still had work to do. He certainly wasn't confident enough to leave the housework unfinished, and they had made rather a mess that day. It took a while, but in time the home was once again spotless, and Draco collapsed into a deep sleep.

The next day Draco woke early and nervous. Though this wasn't an official test, it was far scarier for him. He was still going to have to impress Harry, but this time there was no liquid luck.

His first obstacle came early. Harry was already awake and playing with the cats, who seemed to be thrilled that everyone was awake again. Draco froze when he saw them. Did Harry really mean that thing about not calling him Master? He inherently wanted to hedge his bets and go with some sort of middle ground, but there really wasn't one with it, it was a binary choice. Before he could decided, Chaos the cat ran towards him, playing again with his feet. Harry obviously noticed.

"Oh, good morning." He said. Draco still wasn't sure how to respond and so, racked with indecision, said nothing.

"I was thinking, it might be nice if all three of us went out to breakfast. Together. You know, you, me, Severus…" He wasn't sure why he was over explaining so much, but he was determined to turn over a new leaf and start a fresh.

"Great!" Draco said, scoping the cat up, and letting it immediately launch itself from his shoulder onto the curtains. "I'll go and get my shoes."

He raced up stairs, to Severus.

"Thank you so much for the potion." He said breathlessly. "It really seemed to have helped."

"Im glad." The man said.

"Look, he wants to go out to breakfast with all of us-

"Yes, I heard…"

"Can i borrow some more of your cologne? It worked last time, i kinda feel like the Felix Felicis recommended it...might help? I'm still a bit nervous." Draco said breathlessly.

"Yes. Probably best to get all the help you can." Severus admitted, fetching the vial and spraying him with it.

"Thanks!"

It didn't take long for them to get ready, and soon they were all headed down the street to "Dan's American Dinner." Which just seemed to mean that the portions were massive and everything was sweet, but it looked fun.

Things were going relatively well until after they ordered. Up till that point, they had other things to focus on, like menus and drink selections. Suddenly, they found there were no distractions, and all they did was look awkwardly around the table.

"So…" Harry started, then stopped. He had no idea what to say. The silence stretched out before them all, Severus shifting uncomfortably. Finally Harry said "Uh. Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah." Draco said, playing with his cutlery. "Did you?"

"Yup."

It was lucky for Harry that Draco did actually have a great amount of tact and charisma. He picked the conversation up smoothly, leading them to a topic he knew was safe. "I was worried the cats would keep me up all night, but it wouldn't hear them."

"Me neither." Harry said, brightening.

"I'm pretty sure one of them knocked over a lamp in the night." Severus volunteered. He was always a light sleeper. "There was a huge crash."

"Oh…" Harry said, he still felt bad about adopting them without Severus there. It felt like a betrayal, and he hated that. "I'm sorry."

Draco glared at Severus as Harry looked away. He didn't want Harry to feel bad about their day.

But Draco handled it, moving the conversation swiftly on to Coco's, the little cat's, was greatly concerned about her. Draco listened patiently, relieved to be on steady ground. Pretty soon the food came, and they dug in. It was good. Slightly strange, but good.

The conversation came rather easily. Surprisingly easily, in fact. Severus was rather taken aback. Pretty soon Harry and Draco were joking easily, all former animosity forgotten. It was like a switch had been flipped. Draco was a master at guiding the conversation, drawing them together. After all, he knew Severus extremely well, knew how to get the man out of his shell. It didn't take long for them all to be filled with good food and laughter.

The meal ended far too quickly for all of them, but after pancakes, coffee, and a breakfast desert, it was time to leave. They got home and Draco immediately broke away, off to do some house work. Finally, Harry had to leave him alone.

This was going to be hard for Harry. He didn't know why, but he had the hardest time letting Draco be. Even at school his eyes had always drifted unconsciously towards him. He sighed and settled down in the drawing room, trying to avoid becoming overly obsessive. He knew he had a problem with that. Severus knew it too.

"You two seem to be getting along surprisingly well." He commented as soon as Draco was out of ear shot.

"Yeah!" Harry said, snuggling up to Severus. He was a very tactile person. "It's crazy isn't it? I don't know what happened, but… well, I guess we both just got over the past and found...we actually rather like each other. Hes nice."

"Yeah?" Severus asked, pulling Harry onto his lap. "So you are happy with him staying?"

"Yeah. I really am."

"Thank you." Severus said, kissing him softly. "And thank you for giving him another chance. That alone was…. Well, a lot."

"Thank you for making me." Harry said, kissing him back.

And so, all was well. They had a completely harmonious few weeks. Harry got a promotion at work, Severus had a break through with his Vampire potion, and Draco was getting genuinely comfortable (happy, even) with his lot in life.

Things changed one night in mid June.

Severus was working late. He couldn't bare to leave his caldron, he knew he was so close to finally cracking this thing...but his eyes began to droop and he knew he was in danger of having a possibly fatal accident- or worse, making a mistake. And so he packed his bags and apperated home. Just a short walk later (The muggle london tube stations were all apparition station), and he opened the door to the sound of laughter and the smell of fresh brownies. He was surprised to find not Draco in the kitchen, but curled up on the couch next to Harry, a glass of red wine in his hand. They were watching a horror movie, Harry had got them hooked on muggle TV, and were clutching at each other in terror. Severus wasn't sure why it bothered him, he'd seen them that close before. It was something about the protective way Harry had his arm around Draco, the way Draco didn't hesitate to hide his face in Harry's chest. They looked so much like a couple it hurt.

He coughed, announcing himself. They both jumped about a foot. Draco even screamed.

"You scared me!" Harry said, laughing. With a flick of his wand he turned the lights on. But he didn't get up and kiss Severus the way he usually did. He didn't hurry over and ask about his day, didn't draw him in and hold him close. Instead, Severus found himself hovering awkwardly at the side lines.

"I noticed." He said coldly. But Harry didn't pick up on it. "I didn't mean to interrupt, I will go to bed"

"Really?" Harry said, frowning. He'd been looking forward to Severus coming home. He always did.

"Ive had a long day."

"Okay...well this has about twenty minutes left. Mind if i finish…?"

Severus nodded and left. It was only when he crawled into bed that he realized what had bothered him so much. They looked so right together. They fit. Harry was, of course, the undisputed hero of the wizarding world, and Draco was so unbearably handsome. In his guiltest moments, Severus could admit it, he was even more attractive than Harry, which made him about a zillion times more attractive than himself, (At least in Severus slightly twisted opinion).

And the worst thing… Severus gulped as he admitted it to himself. They were both the same age. Both young and fresh faced. They were a better fit than he and Harry, he admitted sadly. And so he stayed, lonely and cold, waiting for Harry to come back. His stomach flipped nervously.

He didn't respond when Harry got into bed that night and tried to hold him. He merely pretended to be asleep. He had a lot to think about.

The problem was most certainly compounded the next morning, when he couldn't find his text book "Vampyrs of Britain- myths, legends, and the real thing." Harry had already left, it was just him and Draco frantically searching for it.

"Well where did you put it?" He snapped at Draco.

The day had barely begun and already he was exhausted, he hasn't got a wink of sleep last night, even though he pretended to be so out cold he didn't hear Harry trying to talk to him.

"I don't know!" Draco said, francally. They were standing before a massive bookshelf. Frankly draco usually didn't even bother reading what the books were called, they were always boring, he just shoved them back on the shelf.

"What is the point of having you around if you can't do basic things?" Severus tutted.

Draco pursed his lips, but said nothing. He used used to it honestly, the man had always been a total grouch, particularly in the mornings.

Finally they found it, and Severus stalked off, slamming the door behind him. He had a detestable day. His assistant exploded a cauldron ("An unforgivable mistake! I wouldn't have let my first years get away with such a foolish error!" He screamed. The assistant quit), and the big break he thought he'd discovered turned out to be a dead end.

He left early that night. But still, when he came home Harry and Draco were deep in conversation. How much time did they spend together?

They were bent over a piece of parchment. On it were drawn quidditch figures, who zoomed around the page, reenacting a recent game they'd both missed.

"See!" Draco said " A Wronski Feint, I told you!" He prodded the parchment, an arrogant look on his face. He did always like being right,especially about quidditch. But Harry just laughed it off.

"Fine." Harry said, squeezing Draco's hand. "You were right, I admit it, try not to be too insufferable, okay?" But Harry was smiling and looking at draco with….adoration.

Their hands were still touching.

Severus felt the bottom drop out of his stomach. He turned right around and left again, furious and hurt.

Surely this couldn't be happening? He thought. He was so shaken, he could barely think straight. How fucking dare Draco?! After everything Severus had done for him, after how hard he'd fought and every thing he'd given. For a moment he was so angry he swore he would kill him.

But it didn't last long. It was soon replaced by a feeling of deep sadness, even shame. He remembered what they were like, the night before. They were so...right together. That was the only word. It made sense. Severus scowled. Really it was his own fault. He should have seen this coming, it was inevitable, with two young, beautiful men like that…

He passed a pub and paused for a moment, considering drinking his sorrows away.

But Severus was not like Harry, and did not let his emotions fester. He was practically incapable of it, he was far too analytical, he could never leave a problem alone. Instead, he went for a stroll by the Thames. He liked it there, it always helped him think.

He looked into the gently flowing water and let out a sigh.

So. Harry and Draco. They liked each other. A lot. It was clear. He kicked himself again. He should have seen this coming, he should have done something… he should have left the bastard to rot.

So what was he going to do about it? Well. He had to get his affairs in order. He had very little money himself, Harry had assured him that he'd take care of everything until Severus was established as an experimental potions master, so he had no savings himself. He would need to find a new place to live, obviously. That would take time.

He looked down into the water, a mermaid drifted lazily by, invisible to the passing muggles. She winked at him, smirking. They could sense lover's troubles from a mile away. Severus scowled at her and she giggled, diving under the water.

Should he fight? Or should he stand aside? The truth was, he had never felt truly equal to Harry. He loved him, deeply. With a love that was so intense it hurt, a love that consumed him and he knew he'd never, never be rid of. But Harry was a hero. He was young and vibrant and funny and social and Severus wasn't any of those things. He was old enough to be his father!

In a purely analytical decision, he found he couldn't justify forcing himself on Harry. He would savor their last days, as Severus planned a smooth transition. But that was it.

And so began to prepare for the inevitable break up.

He returned to a warm, happy home, full of laughter and excited chatter. But it didn't make him happy. How could it? It only drive the point home more clearly- they didn't need him to be happy. They had each other.


	7. Chapter 7

Severus couldn't bare to have sex with Harry anymore. It just made him feel like he was going to break. He tried it once, and he was immediately gripped with this strange paranoia that Harry wasn't thinking about him at all, that he was in fact thinking about Draco.

He was so angry. And so hurt. And so betrayed by the both of them. But it was so much easier to take his anger out on Draco.

One evening, before Harry had returned, but long after Severus had, Draco casually strolled into their room and sprayed himself with Severus's cologne.

"Are you still using that?!" He barked.

"Uh. Yeah. I thought you said it was okay? Remember-"

"I remember saying you could use it once! Twice, perhaps! Have you been using it all this time?"

"Uh, Yeah, Im sorry." Severus was shaking with rage, he hadn't been this furious in a long time. He could see it now- the future clearly spread out in front of him. Draco using HIS things, in HIS room, sleeping in HIS bed. How dare he?!

"Get out!" He screamed, placing a hand on Dracos chest and shoving him out of the room. "Besides, your not allowed to go in there, per Harry's rule-"

"Yeah, but he doesn't actually care any more-"

"Well I do. I forbid you to go in there." He barked. That was serious. It was the first time anything had been officially 'forbidden' in that house. The first time either of them had officially used their Master privileges. It meant that Draco was physically incapable of going in that room- a magical barrier stood that he could not penetrate.

Severus returned to the room, slamming the door behind him. It was so unfair, Harry was supposed to smell that and think of him, to miss him even. Not to smell it and think of fucking Draco Malfoy.

He wanted to scream. He wanted to grab Draco and tell him, 'The potion told you to wear it because it smelt like me. Harry wanted me. Not stole his affection and someone else will steal it from you, I hate you.'

As the days wore on, he felt increasingly like a parasite. Like an intruder in his own home. It took awhile for Harry to notice, but when he did, he was deeply concerned. He tried everything he could think of. He asked Severus about it, he took him out on dates, he bought him flowers, lavished him with gifts….

In all of it, Severus just read guilt, or a bittersweet ending of their love.

Finally, Harry had to take a step back. It was by far the hardest thing about dating this man. He would only do things in his own time, and harassing him usually just made the issue worse. It almost killed Harry, but in time, it paid off.

They'd had a good night, at least Harry had thought so. The two of them had had dinner alone, Draco had retired early to his room, he wasn't feeling well. They just talked, and held hands, and went on a walk by the river. A street musician played the violin, and on a whim, Harry took him to see a play at Shakespeare's globe. Severus thought it was perfect. It was so perfect, it made his heart ache.

They crawled into bed together that night and Severus held onto Harry tight, like a lifeline. Harry knew he'd open up soon. He just had to bite his tongue. Finally Severus nuzzled into his neck, his breathing shallow and slightly , he said

"I think Draco should go."

"What?!" Harry asked. This was the last thing he expected. "Why?"

Severus shifted uncomfortably. He couldn't say the real reason, he couldn't… It was too painful. Instead he said "He's been breaking your rules. He's been coming in here."

"Oh." Harry said. "Well...I made those a while ago. He's been writing owls as well, even though he's not technically meant to be doing that. But...I don't really mind. Do you?"

Severus winced. Harry wasn't supposed to react like that. He was supposed to get angry and kick draco out forever and fall in love with Severus all over again.

"I guess not." Severus said meekly, a pit opening up at the bottom of his stomach. But he was still proud. He wasn't going to make Harry pick between the two of them. He felt certain he would lose. "I thought you'd be really angry…" He said sadly. "I thought you'd want to get rid of him." Harry didn't pick up on it, but Severus's throat was very tight.

"Is that what's been bothering you?" Harry said. He was so relieved! He'd figured it out! Cearly, he surmised, Severus was worried that Harry would want to kick Draco out again. He rushed to comfort Severus. "Oh you don't have to worry about that at all. Im happy to have him here. In fact, I can't imagine him not being here. He's become such a big part of my life. In such a short space of time...Really, you don't have to worry about me flying of the handle and doing something stupid. I want him to stay for a long time."

Somehow, this didn't comfort Severus.

But Harry was being serious. Draco had worked his way into his life and planted himself firmly. Harry had developed the habit of coming come for lunch, where he and Draco would eat and chat together. Everything came so easy with Draco, it wasn't like Severus at all, a small part of Harry was ashamed to admit. He loved Severus deeply, Severus engaged him him, fulfilled him,challenged him. To put it simply, Severus made him a better man. But it could be hard work sometimes. The man had incredibly high standards, all of the time, and had no issue showing his displeasure. He wrapped his arms around Severus, confident in his assumption that he'd fixed everything.

The next day was textbook perfect. A bright blue sky, a gentle breeze and sun modestly peaking through intermittent clouds, warming, but not boiling the earth beneath.

Harry had a great idea. He was just putting together the final sandwich when Draco walked into the kitchen.

"Oh. Do you want me to do that?" He asked. He was still a bit nervous around Harry, truth be told. They were good friends now, but still...he was a cautious person by nature, and there was so much tension in the house. It felt like as soon as he'd fixed things with Harry, Severus went off the deep end. He still felt unwanted, useless, a failure existing on others charity. He didn't know why Severus had suddenly started to hate him, but it was obvious he did. Only Harry seemed not to pick up on it. But then, both Draco and Severus were determined to be on their best behavior around Harry, both had a deep need to try and impress him.

"Nah, I've got it thanks." Harry said. "I don't mind cooking really. Actually, I rather enjoy it. Kinda miss it, truth be told."

"Really?' Draco asked. He hated cooking.

"Yeah. I find it relaxing. Anyway, this is just a sandwich. I thought, if you wanted, we could go for a walk by the river?Maybe have a picnic? I made you one too."

"Sure!" Draco said. It was a nice day out. And Harry had a tendency to buy him stuff every time they went out together, so why not? There were some really cute shops on the southbank.

Harry threw the sandwiches in a bag and escorted Draco out. They got to the Thames quickly, buffeted gently by tourists and commuters on lunch breaks. Some were witches and wizards who starred openly at Harry. A few even whispered "thanks!" and one said "Happy birthday, mr potter!"

Draco felt his stomach drop. Fuuuuck, Harry's birthday, of course. Had he really forgotten? He looked guilty at Harry. "Of course, your birthday…"

"He was a bit early, it's on Friday. But nice of him to remember i guess." Draco breathed a massive sigh of relief. But then immediately felt bad again.

"I'm sorry I wont be able to get you anything..."

"Ah, don't worry about it." Harry said, sitting down on a bench and unwrapping a sandwich, ham and cheese, his favorite. "I don't need things anyway."

""I just don't have any money, obviously. And even if i did, i can't go out without you, so...i couldn't like, surprise you or anything." Draco said, sitting next to him and grabbing his own food out of the bag.

"Like i said, its fine. Although, you can go out with Severus. I think. Right?"

"Yeah… I don't think he's, uh, in the mood right now. Hes seemed to be...angry recently."

"Oh yeah, when he gets in a bad mood...well he makes sure everyone knows about it."

"Yeah, i know, he's always been like that.""

"I worry about him, he never relaxes…" Harry said . "And...and that can be hard sometimes." He admitted. He didn't want to look at Draco. He didn't want to feel like was complaining about Severus. And he wasn't, he did love him. It was just hard sometimes. Instead, he focused on the positive. "But I think that passed, we talked it over last night." He breathed a sigh of relief, reminding himself that it was all over.

"Yeah? What was the problem?" Draco asked, turning and looking at him.

"I...don't know if I should say." Harry said. He still felt rather guilty about his past behavior and didn't want to highlight the fact that Draco was, technically, his property. It just so felt weird. But Draco smiled and nudged him gently, and his heart swelled and he found he just couldn't say no.

"Oh go on, tell me…" Draco begged.

"Fine…" Harry said, he couldn't help but smile. It faded quickly. "It was about you, actually. He...wasn't sure how long you'd stay. If you'd stay. I...smoothed everything over, but...uh, you know, I think its been on his mind for a while."

Draco clenched his jaw, staring into the river, hiding his murderous expression from Harry. How dare Severus suggest something like that?! It was insane, it was- just- there were no words. There was just anger, flowing through him, overwhelming him. Finally, he said, in a brightly false voice. "Well, it sounds like you fixed everything then."

"Yup!" Harry said, leaning back, letting the sun soak his face. Draco smiled half heartedly. He clearly didn't have clue, his utter obliviousness was cute in a way.

Draco was uncharacteristically quiet that day. Even when Harry took him shopping (Draco knew him so well) he was withdrawn and thoughtful. He wished he knew why Severus had suddenly developed such an anger towards him. It hurt. But that wasn't his main issue right now, he main issue was how on earth to make his position secure. It was clear he couldn't rely on Severus any more. So he had to rely on Harry. But he wasn't anywhere near confident enough about that, he had to be on his best behavior, he had to impress Harry, he had to have him on side. And he'd do anything to make that happen.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked finally. "Yeah." Draco said, shaking his head. "Sorry." But Harry bit his lip, still concerned. "I guess i just feel bad about your birthday." Draco lied. "Ohg don't worry about that!" Harry insisted, bringing Draco in for a hug. Draco wrapped his arms around Harry and breathed in his scent. It was nice. He never knew someone could smell like comfort, but somehow, Harry did. He rested his head on Harry's shoulder, suddenly feeling very sad. What started as a ploy to get closer to Harry dissolved quickly into a real need to be held.

"I'll bake you a cake." Draco promised.

"That will be nice." Harry smiled, giving him a final, comforting squeeze before drawing away. There was something so nice about holding Draco. He had started to take more and more excuses to touch him. Something at the back of his head told him this might not be a great idea, but he pushed it away. He was happy, he was confident in his relationship and developing a new friendship. Surely there was nothing wrong with that?

The days passed quickly. Draco didn't remind Severus of the Harry's upcoming birthday. He knew he'd forgotten, he was always terrible with dates. He felt a savage pride as each day passed and Severus clearly didn't have a gift. It made a part of Draco feel small and sad, he didn't really know why he was fighting with Severus. But he knew he had to stay in Harrys good graces, or he'd be out. And so it had to be this way.

Finally friday came, and Draco spent the entire day decorating, backing and organizing. He couldn't get Harry a gift, but he could celebrate in style at the very least. He found garrish red and gold streamers, (he hated them, so he knew Harry would love them) and hung them all over the house. He baked a three tiered cake, and iced it with miniature quidditch players. He got balloons and flooded the front hallways with them. (much to the delight of the cats).

He had just enough time to shower, when finally, Harry came home.

"Wow! You shouldn't have gone to so much trouble." Harry said. But he was obviously thrilled. Draco felt his heart melt slightly. There was something wonderfully endearing about someone so easy to please.

"I wanted to do something special for you." He said, hanging up Harry's cloak and walking through to the kitchen.

"Well thanks, it's really amazing! I'm still not used to people doing things like this..."

Draco pressed a drink into his hand. "And I made you a special birthday cocktail!"

Harry was thrilled. They were just discussing it when Severus walked in. Draco caught the look of bewilderment on his face and smirked.

"Hey darling!" Harry said, smiling.

Severus nodded. He caught the triumphant look on Draco face and scowled. He didn't want to admit he was lost and Draco, very intentionally, had not put up anything saying "Happy birthday." Let the man guess, Draco brooded, he deserved it for being so horrible. Severus covered by kissing Harry deeply. Draco had to look away, it was such an easy trump card- so annoying.

"So how has your day been?" Severus asked.

"Great! Especially coming home to this."

"Yes, of course…" Severus said, still confused.

"I told him he didn't have to go to so much trouble, it's not a big deal, really…"

"Of course. I wouldn't forget such a special day…" Draco said, smiling viciously at Severus.

"And he even made me a birthday cocktail!"

"Birthday?" Severus couldn't stop himself from saying.

"Y-yes." Harry said, his face falling. "You didn't forget?"

"Of course not." Severus lied. "I just wasn't aware there was such a thing as a birthday themed cocktail. Seems a bit of a stretch. But such a sweet thought, if that's all you can do." Severus mocked so gently Harry didn't notice it. But Draco certainly did.

"Yes, Im so sad i couldn't get you a present. What did you get him, Severus?"Draco asked innocently.

Thankfully, Severus was incredibly good at thinking on his feet.

"Well i didn't get you anything you could open…" He started.

"Aww, what a shame." Draco demurred.

"But, i thought he we could go away together." He lied smoothly. "Somewhere romantic, just the two of us."

"Oh my god" Harry screamed, throwing his arms around him. "But i thought you had work?"

"I can take time off for you."

"Oh Severus thank you! That means so much to me!"

Severus pulled him close and glared over his head, his expression alone conveying the depths of his anger to Draco. But Draco wasn't backing down.

"That's so lovely! Where will you go? You have to book months in advance, this time of year. For anywhere good, that is…"

There was only the slightest of pauses. "I thought Id let Harry decide, half the fun is in the planning, after all…"

"There are so many places i want to go!"

Draco scowled.

"Let's sit down." Severus said, leading Harry into the living room. "You'll tell us when your done with your work, Draco…" Severus paused. "And make me a drink. Harry's looks delicious." He ordered with a simpering smile.

Draco nodded stiffly. He could hear the others chatting in the next room, happily discussing where they would go next. Greece? Egypt? Australia? Kenya? New orleans?

Draco sulked.

Finally, after a torturous half hour of listening to them, it was ready. He lead them to the dining room, also specially decorated with red and gold ribbon.

"This looks so lovely!" Harry smiled, sitting down. "And you look nice too. Did you change?" Harry asked, only just noticing.

"Oh yes. This is the hoodie you bought me the first time we went out together."

"Of course."

"I had such fun that day."

"Me too!" Smiled Harry.

"It's great to be able to just relax with someone." Draco said, subtly glaring at Severus.

"Of course, that's what we will be doing soon. On the beaches of greece, perhaps?" Severus butted in.

"Ah that sounds lovely." Draco said. "But fleeting. You have your work, of course."

Severus nodded stiffly.

"How's it going, by the way? Still no progress?"" Draco asked innocently.

"Vampirism is incredibly difficult to cure." Severus barked, leaping to his feet. "It's been around for millenia, as long as recorded human history, even the muggles-"

Harry put his hand gently on Severus arm. "Yes, we know that." He said, soothingly. "And i think it's amazing you're even trying. I'm sure Draco was just asking…"

"Of course." Draco said. But Severus knew at least, he suspected Draco of worse, and that was all that mattered. He sat back down with a sigh. Harry squeezed his hand, but Severus ripped it away, embarrassed by his outburst.

The dinner was excellent, and Harry had a great time. He was overwhelmed by the cake, declaring it to be the best thing he'd ever seen, and the most delicious he'd ever tasted.

"Let's have a toast to the birthday boy." Draco suggested, raising his glass.

Harry laughed. "And to the chef!" They clinked glasses, "Uh, and of course...to you." He said to Severus. The thought was nice, he didn't want to leave anyone out. But he was so painfully, obviously an afterthought that it rippled through Severus's entire body. He forced a smile. He wanted to run, but he'd be damned if he was going to leave Draco alone with Harry.

Finally, He placed a hand on Harry's thigh, drawing small circles with his thumb. "Are you getting tired?" He asked provocatively. Harry grinned. "I think i am." He loved it when Severus flirted with him. He didn't do it very often. But when he did, he did it so well.

He lead Harry up to bed and they fucked like rabbits. Harry pumping in and out of Severus with a force and a passion and almost convinced Severus he still cared. But Severus was still jealous, still fearful Harry wished he was someone else. Someone younger and handsomer, and paler…

They finished and cuddled up together. Harry beaming, Severus plotting. He was filled with anger, after that little display of Draco's. There had been a time when he was prepared to go quietly, presuming that he could go with respect and dignity. But this was too much. He replayed every moment in his mind, the insults looming larger and larger, the threats seeming so obviously he had to assume Harry was being intentionally obtuse, already hiding an affair...His body burned with hate.

"Thank you for a perfect birthday." Harry said, placing a gently kiss on his head. "It was really perfect."


	8. Chapter 8

Severus obviously had a vested interest in getting Harry away from Draco, and so he rushed their decision. They finally decided on a tour of a few different european cities, Paris, Venice, Brussels, Amsterdam... Within a week their bags were packed, their hotels booked and they were ready to go.

Things did not improve between Severus and Draco. Severus wanted to simply stay as far away from him as possible, but that meant leaving him and Harry alone, and that was equally disagreeable to him. For the first few days, he managed it well, arriving home just a few minutes after Harry.

But on the last day before their trip, Severus was home early. And for the first time, he and Draco were home alone. They stared at each other, like cats sizing one another up before a fight.

Finally Severus said "Where is dinner?"

"Its not ready yet, Harry has to work late, he has to finish up this project before he leaves tomorrow." Draco replied. In fact, he'd had to work late every night that week, trying to get it all done.

"Well where is mine? I'm sure you can make two. It's all you have to do, after all."

Draco lifted his chin defiantly.

"I don't think Harry would want me to do that."

"Oh really?" Severus said, his voice deadly and cold. "Well why don't you owl him? Why don't you owl him and ask him and interrupt his work to see if you should make dinner, like you do every other night? Im sure he wouldn't mind being interrupted for something so incredibly important." Severus said, sarcasm leaking into each word like poison.

"Fine." Draco said, stomping off into the kitchen.

He didn't dare burn it, although he was incredibly tempted to. He threw together the simplest thing he could think of and tossed it on a plate. He knew no matter what he did, Severus was going to critique it anyway.

True to form, Severus looked at it and tutted. "I didn't know you were attempting to cook blindfolded these days. That is, after all, the only explanation for this monstrosity."

"Harry likes it." Draco shot back.

"Harry is very easy to please."

"Yeah, he certainly seems happy with anything I do. "

Severus's eyes flashed. "If that is true, it's a new development. For which you owe me thanks."

"Oh well I've learned a lot since then."

"That hardly seems likely, given your general level of intelligence. You know so little after all." Severus spat.

"Oh, I know a lot about pleasuring him"

"Pleasuring him?! How have you pleasured him?!"

"Copiously" Draco said, with a wicked smile.

"Are you involved with him?! I order you to tell me."

"That depends what you mean by 'involved'." Draco taunted. "Do you mean long, romantic picnics? Or cuddling under blankets as we watch his favorite movie? Or holding hands on walks by the river?Because we've done all that-"

Severus saw red, he wanted to hurt Draco, he wanted to kill him. He whipped out his wand and jabbed it into Draco's throat, pinning him against the wall.

"You forget your place, boy." Severus snarled. "You are pathetic, useless. You have no skills, no talents, no personal worth. You are only alive because we have had pity on you. If Harry ever did decide to touch you, he would be board in a day. But you will be long gone before that happens. I shall make sure of it."

"Harry won't get rid of me." Draco whimpered. Prayed.

"Not without some convincing. But he will, in time."

Severus exploded the vase next to them, showing off his power, letting Draco feel the wave of raw magic, before marching off. He wasn't quite confident enough to curse him, not yet. Didnt want Harry to feel like he had to protect Draco. He was always a sucker for playing the hero, after all. He didn't wait to see the expression on Draco's face, he simply left, retreating to his room. He threw himself into bed. He wasn't sure why, he wasn't tired. Somehow it seemed like the right thing to do.

He tossed and turned. He knew he had to calm down. Okay. So things were bad. The two of them were obviously extremely close. But Draco's answer revealed something else, they hadn't actually kissed. Or done anything overtly wrong… Severus still had time. He rolled over, thinking hard. Throughout their relationship, Harry had always been the pursuer. He had done everything first, he had...championed their relationship in a way Severus never had. Should he? Was this the time to try and win Harry back?

A pit of anxiety opened inside of him and something that felt very much like snakes slithered around his stomach. How was he going to do that? He had no experience at all in doing that. He cared about Harry deeply, but...romance didn't come easy. He had always been more practical. He showed affection by doing things, that was always natural for him, especially during the war. But Harry didn't need protection now. He needed romance and flowers and...whatever else people wanted these days. Chocolate?

He didn't know how long it took, but finally, Harry crawled into bed next to him. He grabbed Harry, so trightly, so suddenly, he jumped a mile.

"Oh, hi." He gasped." i thought you were asleep."

"I've been waiting for you. I can't sleep without you." Severus said.

Harry smiled, through Severus couldn't see it in the darkness.

"Can I ask you something?" Severus blurted out.

"As long as its quick, im exhausted. It's been a big day." Harry said, already yawning.

"Yes i heard…"

"I so can't wait for our vacation."

"Your still excited about that then? Even though… you won't see Draco?"

"Of course," Harry said, rolling over and nuzzling him, already half asleep. "Besides, we won't be gone that long, it's barely a week. Anyway, what did you want to ask?"

"Let's talk about it in the morning." Severus said, bringing him close.

"Great." And Harry was asleep. But Severus stared at the ceiling. He needed a plan. He sighed and looked at the muscular frame next to him, illuminated in the faint moonlight. He knew it would be worth it. If he could do it.

Unfortunately, Harry did not have the luxury of sleeping in the next day. They had to get up early to catch their port key to France. Countries still had strict immigration laws, even wizards and witches could not simply go where they please.

After only four hours of sleep, Harry stumbled down stairs, where a wide awake Draco Malfoy quickly accosted him. Severus wasn't the only one who had spent the night plotting.

"Good morning! Excited for your big trip? Have some coffee." He said, pushing a cup into Harry's hand. "Can i talk to you about something?"

Harry groaned. "Why does everyone suddenly want to talk to me?" He mumbled.

"What?"

"Oh. Nothing. Sorry. Severus said something kinda similar last night. Sorry. I don't mean to be...whatever. What was it?"

"Ah. Well i think I know what he wants to talk to you about."Draco said innocently.

"Oh?"

Draco took a deep breath. Here, he had to be careful. He wasn't capable of outright lying to his master, the magic of their bond precluded that. But he was smart enough to get around that. Or so he hoped.

"I think he's concerned about my place here." He said, lightly.

"Really? I thought we discussed that, figured it out."

"Maybe" Draco shrugged. "He's just been acting rather oddly lately. He seems very stressed to me." And that was absolutely true. "I mean, i don't want to overstep my place…"

"Just spit it out." Harry grumbled. Multiples days on low sleep were really getting to him, his nerves were wearing thin.

Draco bit his lip. It was a lot harder to evade the truth when asked directly like that. He took his time. "Well...I... think… that…. things in this household would be calmer if you made it clear to him that I'm not going anywhere."

Harry buried his head in his hands. "Well. I don't know how to express that. I've already tried, I think it will just take some time."

"But he's so stressed out...And you're a man of action, you know. Youre so…. Strong willed, he may not be convinced by words alone."

"Yeah?" Harry said, not totally sure what to make of this.

"You know, I think it would be a...a powerful statement if you insisted I came on your holiday with you."

"Wow. That's, er, a lot." Harry said, clearly not thrilled at the idea. "Look I understand that you want to go-"

"It's nothing about that." Draco snapped, already feeling the sting of rejection. "It's about Severus."

And at that moment, the man himself strode into the room. "What's this about me?" He demanded.

"Its nothing." Harry said, standing and draining his coffee. "We should get going. Draco, I'll see you soon, okay? Look after the cats. Send me an owl if there's anything you need."

Severus was smirking so openly and broadly Draco was amazed Harry didn't notice.

They grabbed their bags and headed out, arriving punctually at the ministry of magic, grabbing their appointed portkey (a childrens doll with half its face missing). Soon they were on French soil and though they still had to go through immigration, Harry was enthralled by every step. Even simple things like seeing signs in different languages made him happy. Surely it would be easy to...romance him? God Severus hoped so. He didn't know what he was doing, and he didn't particularly enjoy it. But Harry was worth it.

Soon, they were winding down the streets of Paris, the buildings historic and dignified, the people lean and stylish. Harry just wanted to get to their hotel. As they got closer and closer, Severus was getting more and more nervous. Finally, when they were checking in, he felt sick and by the time they got to their room, he was ready to run. But he swallowed it down and said.

"I actually...did something for you. Planned a surprise" Severus said. Harry had already thrown himself onto the bed, not even bothering to take off his shoes. Severus perched next to him.

"Mmmm, yeah? Why don't you cuddle me and tell me all about it?" Harry asked, pulling Severus down next to him.

"Well, we'd have to go now, if you wanted to do it…" Harry opened his eyes. Severus looked so nervous, and yet there was a clear gleam of hope and excitement in his eyes. He couldn't say no. He sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes.

"We don't have too, if you don't want-"

"Of course I want to. I want to do what you want to do. Let's go."

And so they did. It took them awhile to get there, but even Harry, exhausted as he was, let out a squeal of delight when he saw where they were. They had arrived at "pegasus balloons", and were soon high above the city, suspended by a bright balloon and a wicker basket.

"I thought you might like a hot air balloon ride…" Severus said tentatively. " You like flying so much…"

"I love it. Thank you! Its amazing" Harry said, squeezing the man tight.

And it was. Far below them the buildings lazed by, the cars and buses just visible,as if the whole thing was suddenly transformed into a doll's house. The horizon stretched onwards, the river Seine meandering on for miles and miles.

He leaned into Severus, soaking up the atmosphere, the sun, the fluffy clouds.

"I'm so glad we're here." He said softly.

"Me too."

And Harry really was having an amazing time. But. He did fall asleep, much to Severus disappointment and frustration. Was he not enjoying it? It made him feel like a failure.

"No! I'm having a great time!" Harry insisted when Severus nudged him awake. "I love...clouds." He said, failing miserably in his attempt to sound upbeat.

Harry wasn't exactly sad when it was over. They headed back to the hotel and, although it was only mid afternoon, retired to their rooms. Finally, his body aching, his mind fuzzy, Harry fell into deep, blissful sleep.

Severus snuggled next to him, although he didn't sleep. He had not had a good time. He was particularly irritated that he had to sit through it while Harry slept. It was all too kitsch, too over the top, too cutesy for him. He'd have to try harder next time. For the moment he'd have to just content himself with holding a slumbering Harry.

Unfortunately, this meant that they were on almost opposite sleep schedules. They were both awake enough for dinner that night (where Severus told the waiters it was Harry's birthday and had them all sing), which was excellent. But after that, Severus was done, and it was Harry's turn to lie awake next to him.

Finally, Harry had time to think. He sighed, he should have paid more attention to what Draco had said that morning. (was it really only that morning? Harry wondered, some days felt so long…). Was Severus really still upset? He mulled things over. The man was certainly acting oddly, that was for sure.. The hot air balloon ride was amazing, but deeply out of fact, even the holiday itself was...an unusual choice, the man so hated to be away from his work. And then the singing at dinner… Severus clearly hated every moment of it, his lips pursed and his shoulders tense. One of the waiters was practically shaking in terror from the look Severus was giving him. So why had he done it? Was it really to please Harry, like Draco said? He wasn't sure.

He groaned and wrapped an arm around him. It probably was, Harry decided, in all the time they'd been together, he'd never done anything like this. But wouldn't it be weird for Draco to join them on their super romantic holiday? They'd be in much tighter quarters than when at home…

Unbidden, that image of Draco in the shower popped back into his head. He blushed deeply. He tried his best not to think about that. It had been a long time ago, after all… But his body was responding anyway, his cock hardening quickly.

He tried his usual tactic of just ignoring it, but he couldn't for very long. He slipped into the bathroom and grabbed himself, suddenly more aroused than he could ever remember. But he couldn't think of another man while severus was mere feet away! He couldn't, he wouldn't. He focused on Severus, on the many times they'd made love.

Although, they didn't seem to be doing that very much anymore…He tugged at himself, frustrated and distracted, trying to focus on Severus.

Finally, the perfect imagine came into his head, Draco and Severus wrapped around each other, perfect bodies intertwined, Dracos pale head between Severus's long, lean legs, Draco on all fours, kneeling before Severus….

And Harry came, holding back a moan, panting hard. He crawled back into bed, only feeling slightly guilty.

If he was being honest with himself, his obsession with Draco ran very, very deep. He had handled it well recently. But that didn't mean it had gone away. It was certainly easier, being able to talk to him and be with him openly. But… there was just something about Draco that Harry had a really hard time letting go of. He wondered what draco was doing at that very moment. Was he showering, was he in bed? Was he thinking about Harry?

Draco was, in fact, thinking about Harry. He was kicking himself for messing up so badly. He sighed, curling up in one of the big armchairs Harry loved so much. The house was so still and quiet. Even the cats weren't making a sound. He didn't want this. He didn't want any of this. He didn't want to hurt Severus, or stress Harry out so much, or to be a criminal...he regretted everything he'd done in his life.

But soon another day dawned, and for Harry and Severus, it was very busy. Severus had planned yet more surprises. Private tours of the Louvre (at an astronomical sum, and even then only because it was The Harry Potter), dinner at the top of the eiffel tower, street musicians bribed to play songs just for them….

It was heady and romantic and decadent. Frankly, it was a little manic. Severus looked...pained by some of it and the cliched lyrics of the love ballard made him wince repeatedly.

Harry knew he had to say something. He waited until after dessert. The thick, rich chocolate of the mouse was too distracting, even Seerus was enjoying it. But finally they were left only with wine and each other, and Harry had to dive in.

"I hope you know how much i appreciate all this." Harry said. Severus squeezed his hand in response. "But I worry about you…I, uh…feel like you've been very stressed out recently."

"I've...had a lot on my mind." He admitted.

"Yeah. I can tell. I want you to know...you don't have to do any of this. I mean I really appreciate that you have. And I've enjoyed every moment of it. But I love you. The way you are. You don't have to...do anything to make me love you."

Severus looked away. He didn't want Harry to see how emotional he was getting.

"Thank you for saying that...I just...all i want is for things to be okay between us."

"Me too." Harry said, his eyes misting behind his glasses. But he was smiling too. "And they are. I'm so happy with you! I love you! "

Severus hid a smile.

"Is this about Draco?" Harry asked.

"Well...yes." Severus said. He hadn't planned on talking about it right now. He wasn't ready. He didn't know exactly what he wanted to say.

"Look, I want you to know-"

"Can we not? I don't want to talk about him. It's...very stressful for me."

Harry nodded. So Draco really was right then.

"Okay. Can i just say one thing? I want to thank you for bringing him in, I know it was difficult and-"

"I said i don't want to talk about it." Severus snapped.

Harry nodded sadly. Worry consumed Severus and powerlessness overwhelmed Harry. Finally, he had to make a decision. In secret, he penned notes, arranged port keys, made plans. Severus immediately knew something was going on, but when he asked, Harry just said "You've done so much for me! I want to do something for you too. So just relax. Everything is going to be okay." Finally, their time in Paris came to an end, and Severus still didn't have a clue what was going on.

Only as they checked into their hotel in Venice did it all pay off. Severus smiled softly as they walked up the stairs of their little bed and breakfast. It wasn't hyper luxurious, but it was actually a nice change. Cozy and warm. He was just saying so to Harry when he walked into their room. And froze suddenly. There, on their bed, was Draco Malfoy.

"Surprise!" Harry said. "I knew you'd be pleased!"


End file.
